The board of directors of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafés, Night-Clubs & Pastries in Lebanon (RCNP) presided by Tony Ramy convened on Monday 11 November at the Syndicate headquarters to discuss the current economic situation in the country. After much deliberation the Syndicate RCNP issued the following open letter to officials:

“Tourism establishments, with their owners and workers, are in jeopardy. 150,000 families are threatened with their livelihood and future! It is a cry for help for our lost rights. Will anyone answer our cries?

At this stage tourism establishments are still suffering from past and current ordeals, like the inability to pay bank dues, taxes, fines, electricity and water bills, as well as additional taxes and bank interest rates and the suspension of banking facilities and additional costs. This difficult situation and circumstances, not only threatens tourism institutions, but also their employees (125 000 workers and their families), therefore we demand to be included in the financial plan and re-structuring that the government is working on.

Our demands:

• Restructuring the companies’ debts, giving them a grace period of one year, with an interest that does not exceed 5%, to be implemented following the new government formation.
• Getting funded by banks, in order to launch marketing campaigns and develop the companies that have been affected by the experienced crisis which caused the cancellation of trips, conferences and exhibitions. It resulted in the loss of all past efforts to put back Lebanon on the tourism map.
• Long-term restructuring of taxes with the cancellation of all fines. Exercising leniency in the payment of electricity and water bills, to be implemented with a grace period of one year upon the formation of the government.”

In addition, President Tony Ramy urged real estate owners, to review the rent allowances taking into account these exceptional circumstances in order to persevere and continue. The attendees embraced the demands and asked suppliers to be lenient and understanding as this crisis is affecting all sectors.