News updates

The shipping vessel ‘Shaker One’ arrived in the Port of Beirut coming from Jordan last Friday carrying 24 trucks, which represent the last batch of trucks stranded in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following the closure of the Nassib Crossing. The Higher Relief Commission Director General Major Muhamad Kheir supervised the operation of handing over trucks to their proper owners. The most difficult part of this humanitarian file is over and done, Kheir declared, after the successful repatriation of some 300 stranded trucks over three phases. He added that the next step is for the cabinet to decide on how to best provide support to the export and shipment of agriculture products. (As Safir, Al Diyar, 13 June 2015)

Prime Minister Tamam Salam received yesterday a delegation of the Beqaa export and agricultural syndicates who handed him a list of demands aiming at reaching a solution to the present export crisis in the wake of the closure of borders with Syria. The farmers’ requests mainly called for stepping up mechanisms of sea and air transport routes to salvage the remaining harvest seasons and easing procedures at the sea ports or inside the airport’s export rooms. The agricultural petition also included the following: requesting authorities to work by all means against the dumping of local markets with imported goods at a time of peak season; requesting IDAL to settle farmers subsidies from the agricultural export support program ‘Agri Plus’; allowing export trucks to operate internally in order to reduce the cost of shipment to ports. In the same vein, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Zahle, Beqaa, hosted a large meeting of the various agricultural unions in Lebanon to discuss new ways of export and the crisis of production and called for a quick solution to the problem. (Al Diyar, As Safir, 7 & 12 June 2015)

L’Orient Le Jour daily published a feature last week on the traditional wheat “frik” which is popular in many parts of the country, mainly in the South. Due to its high nutritive value, efforts are underway to open new foreign outlets for the product. The newspaper referred to one new program (LIVCD) aiming at the development of productive sectors in Lebanon, funded by USAID, which allocated USD 41.7 million for the five-year project that will mainly target agricultural enterprises. Referring to a recent study, the newspaper mentioned that there is a high demand for this product both domestically and in Arab countries, adding that “frik” is capable compete with quinoa and other healthy products in Europe and the United States. However, the study criticized the traditional method of preparing that does not comply with hygiene specifications and therefore can limit its marketing potential. Normally, this green wheat is grilled and the exposed to sun before being crushed and grinded by the traditional methods. L’Orient Le Jour reported that the shortcomings of the aforementioned process were resolved through efforts of Lebanese engineers who succeeded in designing a new production technique using modern machinery that complies with health standards. This newly introduced technique can also be used in the preparation of another popular Lebanese staple food, the “burgul”. OLJ referred to women beneficiaries who piloted the usage of the new technique, among whom were women workers of Haris cooperative in the South, and who now intend to grow wheat on large scale. (L’Orient Le Jour, 10 June 2015)

The Lebanese University and CISCO Corporation organized a forum under the title: ‘Linking university graduates with labor markets’ at the university conference hall under the patronage of President Dr. Adnana Sayid Hussein. On the occasion, CISCO General Manager Hani Raad stated that the purpose of the conference is to develop the technical skills of the Company’s trainers’ and pass them on to students so as to prepare them to enter the labor market. A number of companies interested in recruiting IT and communication graduates, Raad said, were invited to participate in the setting up of a substantial database and network aiming at building bridges between the companies and the academic institutions. He stressed the importance of partnerships with the educational sector, particularly with the Lebanese University. (Al Diyar, 11 June 2015)

One of the most celebrated crafts in the Mina district of the northern city of Tripoli is pottery which is reflected in the landmark pottery workshop of Abu George, known as: ‘Fakhuret Abu George’. George Ariro, owner of the 350-year old pottery workshop who inherited the traditional craft from his ancestors, explains that the pottery yard produces earthenware to store food as well as household utensils, besides cups and pitchers. Ariro boasts that pottery products are healthy devices, especially water jugs, which are known to be natural coolers and antiseptic, adding that the craft is changing into an intricate art producing decorative items. However, he lamented the lack of concern by authorities in conserving traditions, particularly the attitude of ministries of tourism and culture, warning that the craft was in danger of extinction while calling for moral and financial support of the industry’s artisans and workers. (Al Diyar, 11 June 2015)

Sources at the Ministry of Industry disclosed a new agreement with the United Nations Development Program to support the Ministry’s technical capacities as part of its TOKTEN program to transfer knowledge through expatriate nationals.  To this effect, UNDP assigned Dr. Fadi Aramuni, an American-Lebanese food safety expert to undertake a quality assessment study of the following two sectors: meat products, pastries and sweets. Furthermore, Aramuni trained Industry Ministry inspectors for two days on food safety measures mainly, biological, chemical and physical hazards, methods of taking and transferring food samples and proper compliance guidelines. In the same vein, Minister of Economy and Trade, Alan Hakim, announced the attainment by the following 11 food enterprises of the 22000 and 22005 ISO specifications, namely: Tayibat (frozen potato); Olive Trade (olive oil); Delta Group for trade and industry (spices); Maatouk (coffee); Laflox (Yamama for vinegars, aromatic water and pomegranate molasses); Diabco (Al Amira Roastery); Hashem Industry and Trading Group (sweets and syrups powder) and Al Rifai Roasteries. A statement by the Ministry of Trade disclosed that the first ten factories are among 20 food enterprises which were covered by the European Union funded National Quality Policy Program and have received technical advice and training support over a one year period. This new batch of factories joins another of 20 factories which were rehabilitated earlier under the same initiative. (Al Diyar, 9 June 2015)

L’Orient Le Jour interviewed in its May 28 edition Economy Professor at the Saint Joseph University Nizar Hariri during a recent seminar aiming to boost cooperation between universities and companies. Hariri who is also the coordinator of the Expertise and Recruitment Observatory at USJ pointed out that the project is being implemented in collaboration with the French University of Strasbourg and the Lebanese University, the Bassel Fleihan Financial Institute, Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the General Directorate of Higher Education. He said that since its onset in December of last year, the Observatory is seeking to link university education with the labor market through orienting students to those specialties that are highly in demand. Hariri told the newspaper that the domestic labor market can no longer assimilate fresh graduates, pointing to the soaring rate of unemployment in the country which largely affecting young people. The Observatory located inside the USJ College of Education Sciences, Hariri explained, helps companies identify the needed skills in order to train students. He stated that the main challenge at present is the upsurge in recruitment in the informal sector, which is feeding the migration of talented and highly qualified graduates. He urged officials to put in place policies aiming to address the current employment crisis. (L’Orient Le Jour, 28 May 2015)

A study prepared by Dr. Ali Takesh on media studies in the Arab world revealed that the number of universities teaching the subject have witnessed a surge by over 300% during less than ten years, from 40 and 70 institutions in 2000 and 2009 respectively to a total of 148 universities in 2014. Most of the universities are located in the Mashreq region followed by the Arab Gulf region. The above study indicated that while the investment and expenditure on information and media platforms have reached $12 billion, half of which allocated to television stations, the financial revenues barely reached $1.5 billion, which means that media in the Arab world is a losing investment with nil economic viability. But despite data indicative of an extensive media enrollment which comes second to business administration, media curricula in universities remain poor. This review was supported by another published by ESCWA which showed that the average per capita level of reading in the Arab region per year did not exceed two pages in 2003. Notwithstanding the academic courses and curriculum, the Lebanese universities are generally governed by politics which normally impede the educational process, particularly in the field of media. The field of work is usually dominated by political considerations and ‘twisted’ mechanisms of funding. Furthermore, the study revealed, that there is no proper follow-up of students by educational institutions whether before and after graduation which leaves students with little practical skills. (Al Hayat, 8 June 2015)