Establishing Well Functioning National Trade Facilitation Bodies (NTFBs)
In the OIC Member States
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4.2.1.2. Description
The official name of the NTFB of Lebanon is the National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee
(NTTFC), and was established by Council of Ministers’ decision No. 58 in October 2006. Its
establishment was as a result of an ESCWA Committee on Transport initiative for ten countries of the
region. This initiative had the objective of creating National Transport and Trade Facilitation
Committees (NTTFC) in ten countries of the region. In this decision explains the mandate and the
objectives of the NTTFC.
Six government agencies participate in the work of the committee namely: Ministry of Economy and
Trade (this is the coordinating agency), Directorate General of Land and Maritime Transport,
Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Ministry of
Telecommunications, Ministry of Public Health, and the Ministry of Agriculture; all of them work
together in the government area.
Ministry of Economy and Trade: This is the coordinating agency, in charge of international
agreements, internal trade, trade-related legislation, the Trade Information Centre, and monitoring
the Lebanese industrial sector. The Minister is the President of this NTFB.
Directorate General of Land and Maritime Transport (a dependency of the Ministry of Public Works
and Transport): Responsible for setting, implementing, and monitoring all policies related to land
and maritime transport. The Director General is the Vice-president of this NTFB.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (a dependency of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport):
Responsible for setting and implementing air transport policies within the country in compliance
with international policies, and for controlling air traffic within the Lebanese territory.
Ministry of Interior and Municipalities: Responsible for governorates, municipalities, federation of
municipalities, and village matters, in addition to political parties and organizations.
Customs: Responsible for ensuring that all goods and persons entering and exiting Lebanon are in
accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Ministry of Telecommunications: Responsible for the construction, equipping, operation, and
maintenance of all telecommunications services in Lebanon, comprising fixed and mobile telephony,
all internet services, and postal services. It also determines the fees imposed on these services and
ensures their proper functioning, monitors the activities of the private sector in the
telecommunications field, and reaches international agreements in this sphere.
Ministry of Public Health: Responsible for addressing economic and social determinants of health
through trans-sectoral policies.
Ministry of Agriculture: In charge of agro-industries, animal health and quarantines, animal
production, education and extension, fisheries and aquaculture, food and nutrition, natural resources
(forestry), marketing and trade, agreements, projects, plant production, and plant health and
quarantines.