Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb decided Friday to form a joint committee from the ministry and importers and traders of mobile phones to devise a clear plan aiming to end smuggling.

“I am keen on preserving the rights of legitimate importers and not encouraging smugglers who are stealing people’s money and preventing the state from gaining profits,” Harb said during a meeting with representatives from companies that import mobile phones

The minister stressed his willingness to cooperate so as to find appropriate solutions, noting that measures previously taken have afflicted damage to the Lebanese economy.