George Boujikian, the caretaker minister of industry, emphasized that Lebanese durum wheat is “one of the finest types of wheat in the world and is in great demand,” adding that “the available quantities enable self-sufficiency.”

Earlier today, Boujikian said in a radio interview that PM Najib Mikati was “the most suitable person to head the government and accomplish what the caretaker government has started, especially with regards to the accord with the International Monetary Fund.”

Boujikian also called for “putting political clashes aside and giving utmost attention to the difficult economic and daily living conditions that the country is witnessing,” stressing that “we no longer have the luxury of time and the stage requires solidarity to keep politics away from these files.”

On a different note, he stated that “the employees of the Ministry of Industry did not partake in the strike carried out by public sector employees, and are attending to work three days every week to complete their required tasks.”

“It is not possible to stop the export licenses and many of the transactions carried out by the ministry, otherwise we will go into a collision,” he explained.

Boujikian also indicated that “the Lebanese industrialists are facing competition by their Syrian counterparts, who constitute a huge burden on the country’s infrastructure.”