Minister Hamie meets with World Bank delegation to discuss collaboration in various fields

The caretaker Public Works and Transport Minister, Dr. Ali Hamie, held a meeting on Monday in his ministry's office with a delegation from the World Bank, led by its Director-General for the Middle East and Africa, Jean-Christophe Carret.

During the meeting, various local and international developments were discussed, along with a review of the projects the ministry has undertaken in collaboration with the World Bank. 

Additionally, the meeting explored prospects for continued cooperation on new projects that the ministry is looking forward to.

Minister Hamie emphasized the importance of political stability in Lebanon and the need for an economic vision to rescue the country from its crises, highlighting that this vision relies on the election of a president through internal dialogue among the Lebanese. 

He also noted that the suffering of the Lebanese people has intensified recently due to the significant influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon.

Regarding the ministry's portfolios, Hamie and Carret conducted a general assessment of all the projects the ministry has worked on in collaboration with the World Bank. This included discussions on the road loan, labor issues, the new legal framework for the Lebanese ports sector, and the plan for the reconstruction of Beirut's port.

Minister Hamie expressed his gratitude to the World Bank for the previous cooperation, particularly for the outstanding achievement of the new legal framework for the ports sector. 

He emphasized the importance of this framework as a reform project, especially concerning the desired partnership between the public and private sectors. He noted that this law is now on the path to implementation and awaits approval in the parliament.

Regarding road maintenance and labor issues, Hamieh mentioned that road maintenance activities across various Lebanese regions are progressing rapidly, especially in areas where funds from the mentioned loan have been utilized. 

He stressed the importance of continuing such loans. He expressed Lebanon's readiness to renew the road loan to rehabilitate and maintain a more extensive network of roads across various regions in Lebanon.

Carret considered the diverse projects undertaken by the Public Works and Transport Ministry in collaboration with the World Bank as encouraging and a reason for the World Bank to consider opening new prospects for cooperation between the bank and the ministry on new projects in various sectors.