BEIRUT: Lebanese President Emile Lahoud is supporting economic, industrial and banking initiatives to raise funds for people affected by the spate of explosions that rocked Beirut over the last two weeks. Lahoud expressed support for fund-raising for the victims of the bombings during a meeting on Thursday with the head of Industrialists Association Fadi Abboud and heads of Jounieh's and Jdeideh's municipalities.
The Industrialists Association and Lebanese Banks Association are providing loans and raising funds to compensate people and businesses for the losses caused by the bombings.
"These initiatives reflect the solidarity of the Lebanese people and expatriates and their willingness to help each other in a time of crisis," said Lahoud in a news statement.
Lahoud also urged "friends of Lebanon to respond to calls by all economic and banking commissions to raise funds for the affected parties."
Speaking after the meeting Abboud said: "The president has made it clear the state will provide help to those affected and has given instructions to the Higher Relief Commission and the Lebanese Army to assess the damages." He added: "We have informed the president of the national fund campaign we have created."
Economy Minister Adnan Kassar has been assessing the economic situation. He said: "the present political stalemate in the country is causing damage to the national economy," adding: "I have also discussed the importance of paying compensation to commercial and industrial sectors that were hit by recent bomb attacks and informed him of special funds under way to help the affected people. The Lebanese communities in the Gulf also expressed their readiness to contribute."
Head of the Lebanese Business Committee in the U.A.E., Albert Matta informed Minister Kassar that he had kicked off the fund raising campaign in Abu Dhabi with a personal donation of $100,000.
He said: "The business committee is spreading the word among Lebanese expatriates in the U.A.E. and the wider world to contribute what they can."
He added he would suggest that the Commerce, Industry and Agriculture chambers in Abu Dhabi "adopt an economic plan to confront the situation."
MP Bahia Hariri called on Lebanese stakeholders to participate in the coming National Day, planned for April 13, to help revive the economic sector.
Hariri was speaking in a meeting with Beirut Traders Association members and market committees' members in which it was decided that they would adopt strategies such as price discounts to mark the occasion. | 
