Sarkis renews call for president – and announces closure of Gemmayze hangouts

 

Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis renewed his call for the election of a Lebanese president as a national priority adding that “there should be no reason not to elect the new president.”

 

“We must implement the Arab initiative as it is, starting with the election of a President of the Republic and the formation of a new government,” Sarkis said.

 

After visiting Maronite Archbishop of Beirut Boulos Matar, Sarkis announced the government’s intention of closing a number of hangouts in the popular Gemmayze area. “We made the decision of closing illegal institutions which do not have licenses. An institution cannot obtain a license unless it meets the necessary conditions.”

 

“Our investigation has revealed that the institutions upon which this decision was made caused inconvenience to the people and residents of Gemmayze,” Sarkis continued.

 

“At the same time, these institutions caused problems for other touristic institutions which meet the required standards and are must continue their work. We had no choice but to take the decision of closing the illegal institutions,” the minister clarified.

 

Sarkis noted that the government was committed to the promotion of tourism in Lebanon while maintaining the character and heritage of Gemmayze and the safety and comfort of its inhabitants.