News updates

The Artisan Cooperative for the Manufacture, Production and Marketing of Pottery opened last week in Rashayya Al Fakhar with the support of and funding from UNIFIL, the UNDP and the Rashayya Municipality. UNFIL Spanish Commander of the Eastern Sector, Jose Kondi, praised the hospitality of the people of Rashayya Al Fakhar, adding that this new initiative reflects UNIFIL’s commitment to cooperate in developing traditional Lebanese industries, mainly the historic pottery sector, and help this craft industry to access foreign markets. After the opening event, invitees conducted a tour on the coop and were briefed on the art of pottery making. (Al Mustaqbal, 23 August 2015)

Byblos Bank published on Wednesday, in cooperation with the American University of Beirut AUB, the results of the Byblos Bank/AUB Consumer Confidence Index for the first half of 2015 which showed a decline for January and February and an improvement in March followed by a relapse in April and a slight growth during the months of May and June 2015. The average monthly index scored 37.7 points during the first half of the year, with no visible change from the fourth quarter of last year, 2014; while it grew by 4.3% during the second half of 2015 scoring 39.3 points. As Safir daily reported that despite the improvement noted in the second quarter of the present year, nearly 79.7% of the Lebanese people surveyed considered that their financial situation has worsened compared to the past six months, 4.3% said they noted a growth and 16% of citizens thought their financial status did not change. Senior economics expert and head of the economic research and analysis at Byblos Bank, Nassib Ghobril, warned that above results do not reflect a change in the confidence index of consumers or a fundamental alteration in the view or attitude of Lebanese households, particularly that only 9.7% of respondents anticipated an improvement in their financial situation in the upcoming six months, 69.6% thought their finances would weaken during that period and 18.9% anticipated a no-change situation. Likewise, index results for the first half of 2015 showed the following: females posted relatively higher confidence rates compared to males; consumers within the age group 21-29 years have recorded a higher confidence rate against other age groups; households with near or over USD2500 monthly income had a higher confidence compared to lower income households. Besides, private sector employees reflected higher confidence against state workers, self-employed, jobless persons or housewives during the first half of 2015. (An Nahar, As Safir, 19 & 20 August 2015)

The Mothers’ Committee in Lebanon held an educational orientation seminar with the aim to 'create jobs in rural areas, encourage the young people to stay in Lebanon and work and rehabilitate cadres in the tourism and hospitality professions’. The activity was organized in coordination with the Association for Social Development PRODES and the Administration and Services Institute launched by the Municipality of Byblos in Maad area. The seminar took place at the residence of MP Riad Rahal in the presence of PRODES chairperson, Juliana Najm and mayors, heads and school directors and students and other people concerned. After her elaborate outline of the project, Najm maintained that the program provides young men and women with jobs and at the same time equips the hotels and tourism establishments in Akkar with skilled persons and qualified professionals. For his part, MP Rahal pointed out that Lebanon lacks skilled workforce in the sector, demanding that the Tourism Ministry open an office in Akkar to this end. (Al Mustaqbal, 17 August 2015)

Because of the free trade agreements concluded with a number of Arab and foreign countries, industrialists of Beqaa are suffering from the dumping of cheap imported goods in the local market. This is creating a situation of unfair competition for Lebanese products both in the internal and external markets. The situation has arisen because of the huge difference in production cost which leaves the Lebanese industrial production in a weak position and unable to compete with foreign products that have the support of their governments at the level of labor cost, the supply of land and fuel, in addition to tax-free laws and regulations. In view of that, Beqaa industrialists have recently submitted a list of demands entitled: ‘protecting national production’, to the ministers of economy and industry during their recent visits to the area. The paper calls for equal treatment in view of the incentives enjoyed by the products of neighboring countries, most primarily the provision of cheap fuel supply for production. Beqaa industrialists criticized the Lebanese government for its restrictive implementation of various trade agreements on the Lebanese borders which further exacerbate the situation. For example, while some EU countries ban any import of dairy products, the Lebanese authorities give a free entry to all kinds of French, Danish and Cypriot cheeses and dairy products. The same applies for potatoes coming from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries and compared to restrictions enforced by these countries on Lebanese industrial and food products, like eggs and poultry which are banned from entering the Saudi Kingdom. Moreover, some North African countries such as Sudan, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia do not comply with the Arab Facilitation Agreement while enforcing additional customs on the entry of Lebanese goods. (As Safir, 14 August 2015)