The Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamieh, launched a public auction for the sale of metal scrap and remnants from the Beirut Port explosion on Tuesday.
The auction aligns with the plan to rebuild the port. This decision was announced as part of the overall initiative to start the implementation procedures while also ensuring that they are undertaken in a manner that conforms with the current operational capacities and resources of the port’s management.
Among those present at the auction launch were the chairman of the parliamentary works committee, Sagih Attieh; the director of tenders, Jean Ellieh; the director of the Port of Beirut, Omar Itani; and members of the Board of Directors.
Hamieh renewed his assertion that the “Beirut Port will no longer be hostage to political disputes, neither domestically nor internationally, and will work in accordance with the Lebanese law,” considering that “what was done today is the greatest proof of that, and the auction will free up tens of thousands of square meters for future investments by the private sector, leading to an increase in the revenues of the Lebanese state treasury.”
Attieh commended Hamieh’s transparency in handling the matter and highlighted the Beirut Port’s remarkable progress. He also called on the government “to increase the number of customs inspectors and provide additional scanners.”
Ellieh underscored that the auction goes beyond a simple bidding process, stating that “it is the first step in rebuilding the port, which is the lifeline for Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea.” He emphasized the significance of “rebuilding trust in state administrations,” especially “through the Public Procurement Authority’s transparent platform.”
On his part, Itani also pointed out that “the terms of reference are now ready on the Public Procurement Authority’s platform and the Beirut Port Management’s platform,” highlighting the cooperative efforts to expedite the launch of the port’s reconstruction projects.
