Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Tuesday his government was committed to the smoking ban which has been a target of criticism by restaurant owners and suggested a committee be formed to look into possible amendments of the law. “The government is committed to implementing the smoking ban in-doors which was fully approved by Parliament last year ... It was preceded by a campaign explaining the law, its importance, the positive effect on health and environment,” the prime ministertold the Syndicate of Restaurant, Cafe and Nightclub owners at the Grand Serail. According to his press office, Mikati said the owners of businesses should have prepared a study following the approval of the law in Parliament last year detailing their viewpoints, and presented alternatives to MPs. Law 174 banning smoking indoors went into effect Monday, prompting several restaurants and nargileh cafes to shut down in protest of the law. Over 350 demonstrators gathered Monday in the Metn town of Antelias, just north of Beirut, protesting the ban and calling for amendments. The protesters also said such a law would harm Lebanon’s tourism sector. The restaurant owners’ meeting with Mikati Tuesday was aimed at discussing the possibility of amending the law, which some have said will force the closure of some businesses. During his meeting with the syndicate’s delegation, Mikati left the door open for amendments to the law. “It could be useful to create a joint committee of ministers, parliamentarians and union representatives tasked with studying all the law’s dimensions rather than witness negative steps such as strikes,” he said. “The government recognizes the suffering by workers of the tourism sector generally and restaurant owners specifically, but we cannot ignore how much better citizens and civil society groups feel now that the ban has been introduced,” the prime minister added. After the meeting, head of the syndicate Paul Arees said that 5,000 restaurants had already adopted the law along with an estimated 1,000 nightclubs, adding that the owners’ main concern was to amend the law as soon as possible to guarantee the continuity of institutions. “I want to stress that smoking in restaurants is forbidden but we will reach a solution soon for cafes as well as nightclubs,” Arees told reporters. He said cafes would still receive smokers given that they had designated sections for them. From DailyStar
GMT 12:09 2018 Monday ,26 November
Black Friday less wild as more Americans turn to online dealsGMT 15:07 2018 Sunday ,18 November
Refugee host countries discuss UNRWA's financial crisisGMT 17:22 2018 Wednesday ,31 October
Russia climbed to 31st place in Doing Business-2019 ratingGMT 16:53 2018 Wednesday ,17 October
"Putin" We need for collective restoration of Syria's economyGMT 14:02 2018 Friday ,12 October
Govt to announce incentives package for Overseas PakistanisGMT 18:26 2018 Saturday ,06 October
Dubai attracts Dh17.7 billion in foreign direct investmentGMT 09:02 2018 Friday ,21 September
Economy of Georgia demonstrates "strong signs of recovery"GMT 09:03 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
German investor confidence surges in JanuaryMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor