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Raya Hassan criticizes women economic marginalisation and submits suggestions

20-11-2015

The former Minister of Finance, Raya Hassan, criticized the marginalization of women among ‎other segments of society that are excluded from the formal or regulated financial system, ‎pointing out that 55% remain outside the formal financial system at the global level. Hassan ‎made her remarks during the second session of the Annual Arab Banking Conference for 2015, ‎‎‘Challenges Facing Financial Inclusion: The Roadmap 2015-2020’. Hassan stated that the ‎situation of women in the Arab world is not better, adding that “according to statistics, the ‎ownership of accounts in financial establishments reflected a clear gender gap between 64% for ‎men and 29.4% for women only. The ratio of adults who borrowed from commercial banks or ‎related financial institutions in 2014 stood at 10.5% for men against 6.5% for women.” Hassan ‎concluded by saying that aiming to further include women in the financial system requires the ‎following steps:‎
‎-         Conducting a comprehensive market study to get the latest data that reflects a detailed use ‎of the services by gender, age, and regional groups
‎-         Expanding women's access to legal ownership to improve their access to and control of ‎guarantees in terms of assets, with the aim to facilitate their access to financial loans
‎-         Launch of financial education programs that will target women, enrich their financial ‎knowledge and improve their financial approaches
‎-         Promoting of educational curricula in the areas of social responsibility and financial ‎efficiency
‎-         Establishment of a fund that will provide subsidized loans for women entrepreneurs ‎
‎-         Developing new financial tools that target women directly depending on their economic ‎needs
‎-         Building the capacity of financial institutions to better provide assistance to women.( Al ‎Mustaqbal, November 20, 2015)‎


 

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Parliament finally approves the food safety charter amidst reservations from some business circles

19-11-2015

Al Akhbar published an article yesterday featuring the endorsement by parliament of food safety charter during the recent session held on November 12. This decision comes one year after the launch by Health Minister Wael Abu Faoor of a vigorous campaign to address the alarming food safety in the country. The newspaper explained that the major obstacle which resulted in the delay in passing the law were objections towards the strong mandate granted to the newly formed National Food Safety Committee which is primarily tied to the Prime Minister at that is at the expense of concerned ministries, notably from the ministry of industry. However, Al Akhbar went on to say that a compromise was reached that ensured coordination between the concerned ministries, while giving priority to the decisions taken by the aforementioned Committee. The approved law is based on the principle of food control ‘from the producer to the consumer’, and it covers the entire food processing and beverages industries, including mineral water, materials used in the manufacturing, processing and marketing of food, in addition to all agricultural products. In this respect, the newspaper noted, that with the exception of the Syndicate of Restaurants and Cafes, most of the food industry syndicates involved with food safety, were not consulted or presented with the text of the law. And despite the fact that those syndicates agree in principle with the charter in its general form, yet they have expressed some skepticism as to its implementation. (Al Akhbar, November 18, 2015)
 

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Public opening of “The Village” hospitality project in Dbayyeh

19-11-2015

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon opened last Monday “The Village” hospitality complex located in Dbayyeh which includes a cluster of 16 restaurants and pubs, in a step which boosts the role of the neighborhood as a major hub of food and drink services and reinforces the concept of hospitality complex within the retail sector. The new compound extends over 4750 square meters on the inner road to Dbayyeh adjacent to the coastal highway, whereas the constructed area is limited to 2500m2. To elaborate on the venture, the manager of the Urban Outlet which the owner of the project, stated that Dbayyeh was selected for its bustling real estate and trade characterizes and as a major pole of attraction for emergent investments in the food and beverages industry. The project, he added, is located at a crossroad between Beirut, Kesrwan and North Lebanon, and aims at attracting residents of the area and particularly Northern Metn region and at becoming a pivotal nightlife center. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, November 18, 2015)

 
 
 

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On National Quality Day: 50 food factories comply with safety regulations

19-11-2015

The Minister of Economy, Alan Hakim, praised the high rate of compliance with food safety regulations which was brought about as a result of the implementation of the EU-funded Quality programme in support of Lebanese food manufacturers, disclosing that over 50 companies were granted the International ISO certificates. Hakim was speaking yesterday during a ceremony organized in Beirut by his Ministry in order to commemorate the National Quality Day and to announce the completion of the third phase of the said-program. Hakim indicated that 30 factories from the food sector have participated in the ‘Support the Food Industry’ Initiative with the aim of implementing the international quality tracking system and that is for the first time in Lebanon. Hakim added that 19 out of 20 food companies were successful in winning ISO 22000 certificates, and 9 out of 10 factories ISO 22005, while pointing out to the considerable decline in the rate of returned Lebanese goods in the international markets. 
For the full list of ISO-certified public departments and private companies, please refer to: (http://www.lkdg.org/ar/node/14139) 
(Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, November 19, 2015)
 

 

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New civil awareness campaign on gender inequality in social protection

18-11-2015

Launched on November 12, “Your Right is the Guarantee for your Family” ‎campaign (see http://bit.ly/1l4O6n8) organized last Saturday its first activity at ‎Spinnys Hypermarket in Beirut with the aim to raise awareness among women on ‎their rights in social security and protection. Seeking public attention, the project’s ‎coordinator, Yasmine Masri, disclosed that the activists offered to capture instant ‎pictures of random couples that happened to be in the store to arouse their ‎curiosity.  However, An Nahar newspaper said it would not disclose the idea ‎behind the action but would rather give interested people time to discover that on ‎their own, this forthcoming Saturday, between 2pm and 8pm, at Beirut Souks in ‎Downtown area. Likewise, Fadia Habib from partner association, Alef -Act for ‎Human Rights, described public response by saying: “Some people refused to ‎cooperate at first, but reacted positively when our intention was explained”. ‎‎“Others accepted wholeheartedly and were keen to know the purpose behind the ‎action”. Habib concluded by saying: “Everyone should become aware of the ‎gendered discriminatory nature of social security legislation as it impacts the entire ‎family which constitutes the nucleus of society”. (An Nahar, November 18, 2015)‎
 

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Yet more new procedures to mitigate the exploitation of migrant domestic workers

18-11-2015

The Minister of Labor, Sajaan Azzi, confirmed in an interview with An Nahar newspaper, the ‎presence of “human rights violation and a mafia for recruiting migrant women domestic workers ‎that has wider international roots.” Azzi claimed that exploitation begins with the source country, ‎along with corrupt personnel of embassies of those countries in Lebanon, and is chiefly ‎accountable for human trafficking crimes and for the violations in the rights of MWDWs. Azzi ‎disclosed that he will soon issue a new administrative procedures for regulating the work of ‎recruiting agencies, that will apply to men workers as well. The new procedures, he explained, are ‎intended to fight human trafficking on the one hand, and “protect the rights of household ‎employers that have been subject to fraud, while safeguarding the right of the domestic worker ‎to be treated with dignity and humanity.”(An Nahar, November 18, 2015‎‏(‏
 

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MoAg signs MoUs of cooperation with FAO and CIHEAM

17-11-2015

The Minister of Agriculture Akram Chehayeb signed yesterday two memorandums of ‎understanding with the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies ‎‎(CIHEAM) aimed at planning rural cooperation initiatives and the preparation of engineers for ‎their masters and post graduate studies. The MoU also seeks to provide special training grants for ‎Agriculture Ministry’s engineers and staff and facilitate the use of  ambitious bilateral programs ‎to be implemented by CIHEAM and other concerned international organizations in Lebanon in ‎cooperation with the Ministry. The Signing was made in the presence of general director of ‎National Center for Scientific Research, Dr. Mouin Hamzeh, the Director General of Agriculture, ‎Engineer Louis Lahoud, and a delegation of CIHEAM. ‎
In a similar development, Chehayeb signed another MoU with Assistant Director General of ‎FAO, MENA regional representative, Abdel Salam Wild Ahmad, aiming at organizing the 33rd ‎session of the FAO Conference for the Near East which will be hosted by Lebanon from April ‎‎18-22, 2016. (Al Mustaqbal, November 17, 2015)‎
 

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Economy Minister calls for the protection of the olive sector from foreign competition

17-11-2015

The Minister of Economy Dr. Alan Hakim urged in a letter to his Agriculture counterpart Akram Chehayeb to do his outmost to protect the production of domestic olive and olive oil against fierce competition of imported products. In the same vein, Al Mustaqbal newspaper reported yesterday that prospects for the current olive season vary according to regions. While West Beqaa records a decline after the deadly blizzard last January, warmer areas, mainly in the southern and coastal areas and the Hasbaya Valley, were not affected. This, the newspaper reported, will help Lebanon meets his needs, notwithstanding the difference in the price of one gallon of olives which has reached LBP200 thousand, unlike lavish seasons where it would be normally sold between LBP 100-150 thousand.  (Al Mustaqbal, November 16, 17, 2015)
 

 

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“Shou ma kint fik tsir”, an expo for entrepreneurs in Saida

16-11-2015

The Saida Challenge Team launched last Friday at La Sale hall in the southern capital a special exhibition, ‘Saida for Young Entrepreneurs’, which included advisory and guidance sessions with successful experts in the domain. Some 21 projects by young students were presented with the theme ‘shou ma kint fik tsir’ (whoever you are, you can become what you like to be). The purpose of the activity is to support innovative initiatives through providing technical expertise that contribute to the development and advancement of society by setting up useful ventures to be later adopted and implemented by the local community.
Representing the Minister of Economy, the UNDP officer, Rafif Birro, pointed out that the ministry is supportive of initiatives that aim to develop the above promising sector and help Lebanon become a hub for creative entrepreneurs. Birro expressed hope the conference could be an opening for a long-term scheme aimed at promoting the concept of entrepreneurship in Saida and encouraging the young generation to enter this field. (Al Mustaqbal, November 14, 2015)
 

 

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Abi Ramya declares a youth emergency

16-11-2015

On the Project Management World Day, and upon invitation from the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the Second National Conference for Project Management opened in Beirut last Thursday with the participation of MP Simon Abu Ramya. Also present were the president of the Federation of Municipalities of Jezzine District, Khalil Harfoush and a crowd of specialists, academics and social, economic and development figures. During the conference, Abu Ramya noted that in the absence of an inclusive national statistical policy, the data reflecting the rate of unemployment among youth at hand is largely incorrect. He mentioned some of the direct reasons for emigration and unemployment, mainly, the “unstable political and security situation and the disparities between the university specialties and the requirements of the labor market, in addition to the competition of foreign workforce.” And while he expressed regret over the slack attitude of the  National Employment Office in providing prospects for the young graduates and other components of society, Abu Ramya declared what he termed as a ‘youth emergency’. He urged the private and public sectors to help the young people of Lebanon to stay steadfast in their homeland instead of promoting policies that encourage emigration. “Lebanon does not exist outside the framework of its youth,” he cried out. (An Nahar, November 14, 2015)
 

 

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