News updates

The Minister of Industry Dr. Hussein Haj Hassan inaugurated yesterday the ‘Khayrat Bladi for Mouneh and Craftwork’ exhibition at the Mustafa Complex in Jiyyeh south of Beirut organized by Hezbollah Women Committees-Beirut. Haj Hassan noted that there is a growing world trend in economy and in nutrition “to return to small industries or the so-called small household institutions for many reasons”. “On one hand, he added, this process empowers families to generate extra income and on the other to go back to the traditional healthy culinary methods in the preparation and presentation of food as compared to the preservative infested canned foodstuffs”. Furthermore, Haj Hassan pointed out that the reason for encouraging home-made food is that it is more cost-effective and helps increase family income, and at the same time it is healthier and tastier. However, the minister noted some still missing elements in the production process namely: appropriate packaging and packing of foods, quality control and effective marketing mechanisms.

 

Al Mustaqbal daily indicated that eco-tourism has become a catalyst for rural development in the Shuf area, particularly in the Shuf Biosphere Reserve, while highlighting the Mediterranean Experience of Eco-Tourism (MEET) project which has sought to publicize the traditions and uniqueness of the Mediterranean Basin countries. It should be noted, that the above project is funded by the EU through the ENPI-CBC Med program and targets, besides the Shuf reserve, the following natural sanctuaries: Jabal Mussa, Ehden forest, Tanooreen cedars and Tyre seashore. The project also seeks to develop the infrastructure in line with the newly- designed tourist packages and to train professionals on how to deal with foreign guests.

 

In the same vein, the Shuf Biosphere Reserve coordinator, Kamal Abu Assi, disclosed in an interview with As Safir that the Ministry of Environment has supported the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of the five beneficiary sanctuaries, including repair of trails, post signs, guesthouses and general amenities and services. “The project has provided those reserves with the opportunity to exchange expertise with other Mediterranean partners and to benefit from the assessment visits conducted by international experts in order to help build and expand the relevant capacities and facilities,” Abu Assi said. Similarly, the Director of the Shuf reserve, Nizar Hani, praised MEET activities that contributed to multiple festivities organized by the local municipalities in cooperation with the administration of the reserve. These activities included the Khraybet village trek in which some 250 hikers participated; Butmeh annual dinner; the mountain biking event which brought together some 150 bikers from all across Lebanon and the 3-day long ‘Shoof Lubnan Bil Barook’ festival which included an exhibition showcasing the traditional mooneh, apple production and craft work. In addition, the summer season witnessed as well the holding of the seasonal festival organized by Mristi municipality which was concluded with the ‘Jabalna’ festivity. (Al Mustaqbal, October 5, 2015)

 

The Minister of Agriculture Akram Chehayeb stressed in a press conference he held yesterday the need to protect the beekeeping sector which is vital to maintaining the agricultural sector in Lebanon, boasting the international standards of the locally produced honey and the resulting high proceeds from its export to European countries. “Beekeeping and honey production is a promising industry which provides a source of livelihood to some 6000 families, while thousands of other households rely on it for extra income,” Chehayeb said. For his part, Afif Abi Chedid, member of the Higher Committee for Beekeeping Sector in Lebanon, categorically denied what is been said about the toxicity of the pesticide used to protect bees against the varroa mites. “This is very serious and harmful to the reputation of the local honey which is tested at internationally accredited laboratories,” he said, pointing to the latest award it claimed in Ukraine where Lebanon came seven. (October 6, 2015)

 

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, CIE, affiliated with the General Union of the Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture organized yesterday a graduation event for participants who completed special entrepreneurship training workshops in cooperation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Honorary President of the above Union, Adnan Kassar, stated that he was proud of the graduates who chose to partake in the courses to develop their skills and expand their work and hence contribute to the advancement of their community and to the growth of national economy. Kassar noted that that amidst the precarious conditions in the Arab world: “We at the Union of Chambers are prepared and keen on supporting entrepreneurs; this is demonstrated in our partnership with UNIDO and our sponsoring of CIE”. He added that Arab Chambers intend to consolidate the foundations of investment in entrepreneurship and innovation, knowing that the Arab world is in desperate need to support innovative talents and create jobs as such and spread awareness on the benefits of private endeavors and the need to promote small and medium enterprises. (As Safir, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, October 6, 2015)

 

Southern housewives have nearly completed the annual preparation of the home made traditional mooneh for their families, mainly consisting of wheat, burghul, frik, lentils, beans, chickpeas, lima beans, cowpeas, okra, and green peas, As Safir reported today. Among other stocked household items, the newspaper cited,  are the famous zaatar (thyme), jews’ mallow, sesame, mixed herbs, delicacies prepared from fruits and veggies, like pickles, namely eggplant, as well as olives, grape leaves and dairy products, such as labneh, keshk, cheeses and all kinds of preserves and jams made from apricots, pomegranates, pumpkins, figs, quince and tomato paste. In the Nabatiyeh area, As Safir went on to say, housewives regretfully no longer can rely in the preparation of their mooneh on local vegetable and fruit production due to the waning agricultural activity in the neighboring towns and villages, the scarcity in water for irrigation, which is coupled by high production costs incurred by farmers. In this respect, the head of the Cooperative Association for the Production and Processing of Agricultural Products in Aramta, Mona Sabra expressed her regret that most food products in markets today are processed from “perishable chemical induced agriculture that has no taste or flavor”, as she puts it, recollecting the times when “everything was naturally made from locally grown crops or grazed livestock.” (As Safir, October, 5, 2015)

 

The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association, (LMT), held last Friday its annual dinner at Sursok Villa Garden in Ashrafieh, Beirut, in the presence of the Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon and of a crowd of environmental, rural and municipal figures. During the ceremony, Association President Nadine Weber clarified that the trail connects together a number of towns, rural, cultural, and heritage, and historic landmarks. She expressed her hopes that the trail becomes a key rural tourism destination particularly that over 25 thousands nature lovers have trekked the trail this year while expecting the number to rise to as much as 100 or 200 thousand trekkers by the end of the year. Weber pointed out that LMT aims at preserving endangered mountain sites by protecting them from destructive acts, most importantly the recent unsystematic waste dumping, quarrying, road words, random urban constructions, tree cutting and hunting. Likewise, Minister Pharaon maintained that rural tourism across Lebanon has exceptionally flourished during the current year, stressing the need to remove all obstacles facing the project. (Al Diyar, October 3, 2015)

 

The President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, Mohamad Shucair and the President of the Lebanese Franchise Association (LFA) Charles Arbid launched yesterday the first ‘Retail Sales Evolution- First Half of 2015 Index’ report in a joint press conference held at the premises of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber, noting that report will be published every six months. Shucair said the new index is of high significance as it “monitors the developments on the level of consumption on the one hand, and on the other hand, helps in identifying changes in the lifestyle of the Lebanese, their purchasing power and their confidence in the national economy, which will facilitate the development of consumption favourable policies,” as he put it. Shucair went on to say that the figures cited in the above report demonstrate the worrying situation of stagnation prevailing in the retail sector. For his part, LFA chief pointed out that retail sales for the six most important items (clothing and accessories, household items, cosmetics, food and beverages, luxury items, sports products) fell by 22.6% compared to the year 2012 when this index was first introduced, while entertainment, catering and related services increased by a mere 4.8% and tourism by 9.9%. However, Arbid noted that above rates are relatively meager if compared to the increase in operational costs over the past two and a half years. He explained that by comparing sales during the first six months of this year with those recorded during the same period of 2014, the sales figures for the six consumption categories rose by 2.2%, while stressing once more that theses figures do not represent an actual improvement in sales. )Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, As Safir, Al Diyar, October 2, 2015(

 

The Minister of Industry Dr. Hussein Haj Hassan inaugurated yesterday the fourth mobile market for traditional mouneh and crafts organized by the Municipality of Gobeiri. The event, sponsored by UNDP and the Association of Local Development Agency for Beirut Southern Suburbs (ALEDA BSS), took place at Al Amliyeh Building. “There is an absence of true economic policies in Lebanon, only general guidelines and empty slogans disguised under liberal economy,” Haj Hassan said, pointing out that the currently marginalized industry and agriculture sectors should become the basis for re-establishing a free and solid economy as they generate employment prospects. “Our nation needs jobs not aid, and, unfortunately, our markets are wide open to all world countries, to which our exports are not accessible,” the Minister added. (Al Diyar, October 2, 2015)

 

As part of the US Embassy Small Grants Program (ESGP) in support of civil society, the Beirut Center for Development and Human Rights (BCDHR) concluded last week its ‘Women Economic Empowerment and Life Skills’ project. Certificates were distributed to participant during a ceremony held at Al Multaqa Club in the southern port city of Saida. On the occasion, the Project Director, Ahmad Chamseddine emphasized the important role that women play in the economy of a country while indicating that some 600 girls and women from the South and North benefited from the project over a period of one year. (An Nahar, October 2, 2015)

 

The Paris-based Quality Systems International (QSI) organized on September 29th a ceremony for distributing the prize for the Best Idealistic NGO (BINGO) under the sponsorship of the Social Affairs Ministry and the UNDP. The event which was held in collaboration with the General Directorate of NGOs and the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities took place at Abou Khater Amphitheater in Beirut. The quality NGO assessment award, it should be noted, aims at motivating and assisting the operational activities of non-profit community organizations in Lebanon. The Prize of Excellence for the women empowerment category was granted to Bassma association that works for the rehabilitation of disadvantaged households by helping them realize their self-sufficiency. The selection committee was formed of a group of distinguished international and regional experts. (L’Oreint Le Jour, As Safir, October 1, 2015)