After the growth and prosperity the tourism sector achieved in Lebanon during the past summer season, the economy has entered a very dark phase again, influenced by the ongoing war in the south and expansion potential.

Amid prevailing anticipation, both consumption and export orders have started to decline, especially as most traders refuse to deal with a risky country like Lebanon.

In this context, Vice President of the Industrialists Association Ziad Bekdash said that:  "Anticipation is more challenging than war as it leads to a contraction in the local market. Today, citizens focus on buying only essentials, anticipating any security developments."

In an interview with "Al Joumhouria" Newspaper, Bekdash spoke about "A 30% decline in local consumption in Lebanon due to the current circumstances."

"There are two types of production: one with affordable price, low profit, and not subject to VAT. This type of product is still in demand today and is sold in markets. As for the second, it includes higher-priced goods, whose sales have dropped by about 70%," he explained.

"While the industrial sector in Lebanon is still producing, the rest of the sectors are suspended, such as tourism and trade. A healthy economy is an integrated chain, so if one sector stops working, the industrial sector is affected, and its work declines," he added.

Bekdash also talked about: "A decline in export orders due to the troubling conditions experienced by citizens."

"Today, industrialists seek to expedite their orders delivery before the set deadline to avoid what happened in the July 2006 war when they lost customers because they could not deliver their orders on time. After all these years, we have only been able to recover a portion of them," he went ton saying.

The Industrialists Association VP emphasized: "Most traders refuse to deal with a country facing risks like Lebanon."

"In trade and industry, it is always necessary to retain existing customers and work on attracting new ones," he said.

He also affirmed that success is not possible when the country is constantly exposed to security challenge.