Beirut, Lebanon, 23 April 2014 –MasterCard and Banque Libano-Française (BLF) celebrated their longstanding collaboration in Lebanon at a ceremony held at BLF Headquarters in Beirut. At the event, Michael Miebach, President, MasterCard in the Middle East and Africa, and Basel El Tell, Market Manager, MasterCard in Levant, presented a token of appreciation to Raya Nahas, Deputy General Manager at BLF and Myrna Wehbeh, Head of Cards Services at BLF, for their role in supporting MasterCard with the implementation of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Digital Food programme.
Commenting on the ceremony, Michael Miebach, President, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard said: “At MasterCard, we believe we can make a positive impact on the community by developing innovative solutions that address market needs. Our success story with Banque Libano-Francaise demonstrates the crucial role that strong partnerships play in touching the lives of so many people in need. I am delighted to be presenting the Bank with a token of appreciation for their hard work, dedication and support, and look forward to our continued success in the future.”
Raya Nahas, Deputy General Manager, BLF, said: “At Banque Libano-Française, we are committed to introduce technologically-advanced payment tools that offer real value to our customers and the community. We are confident that our collaboration with MasterCard will enable us to further develop our ever-growing payment solutions portfolio to benefit our customers as well as the country’s economy. This also falls under BLF’s CSR strategy that aims to make a social and environmental impact on the community while fostering sustainable development.”
BLF has been supporting MasterCard in its role as a partner to WFP in its massive humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis, rolling out an innovative electronic voucher programme in Lebanon that will allow hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to meet their food needs, help boost the local economy, and drive financial inclusion for these refugees. It is expected that by the end of the year, some 800,000 refugees will be using these electronic cards – or “e-cards” at participating shops in Lebanon.