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An event was held at the Grand Serail as part of the program “A Rendezvous in the Serial”, to commemorate the start-up of the youth initiative to motivate students to pursue their job dream. The event which was sponsored by Prime Minister Tamam Salam’s wife, Luma Salam, was attended by Minister of Communications, Butros Harb, and a number of social and political figures. Salam said the event represented an opportunity for the young generation concerned about and fearful of an uncertain future and of unemployment. She described it as an opportunity to meet with associations and local and international NGOs working in the framework of this national initiative which aims to prepare the Lebanese youth to enter the labor market. For his part, Minister Harb hailed the initiative for it helps “promote the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth, particularly among the highly talented and skilled students.” He went on to say that the project, seeks to reverse joblessness, supports young people, especially women, and will help them in developing start-up enterprises. He pointed out the the project which requires wide and close partnership with Lebanese universities, the business sector, and civil society, will upgrade the youth's skills to meet international standards in IT and communication. Harb said he hoped that the initiative could turn Lebanon from an IT consuming country to a leader in the IT industry through the setting up of a favorable eco- system for the development of mobile software. (Al Diyar, 27 February, 2015)

In the midst of economic difficulties that faced Lebanon last year as a result of the precarious regional situation, the year 2015 seems to be wavering, and reporting both positive and negative economic swings. From the positive side, the total number of tourists entering the country grew by 22.6% in last January compared to the same month in 2014. According to the Research and Studies Department statistics, some 90,784 visitors entered Lebanon last month, compared to 74,000 tourists for the same month of the past year. On the other hand, the weekly economic report issued by Credit Libanais on MENA job index and the Lebanon market, showed that 27% of surveyed employers said they were optimistic about prospects for recruitment in the next three month period, which is the same rate as for the previous survey. Furthermore, companies intending to recruit during the period from February 2015 to February 2016 accounted for 31% against 24% indicated in the past survey. The entrepreneurship sector is also apparently keen on recruiting where 27% of respondents are on the lookout for fresh graduates in the field of business administration, 23% for engineers and 22% for graduates in commerce.
On the negative side, the balance of trade for the first month of 2015, has recorded a deficit of USD one billion and 91 million, according to foreign trade statistics. This apparently resulted from the large imbalance between the imports bill of January 2015 which stood at USD one billion and 341 million and the USD 250 million in exports. As such, the total value of imports dropped 28% from USD one billion and 873 million in January 2014 with total exports slightly increasing by 3% from USD 244 million. The inflow of foreign remittances and capital on the other hand witnessed a huge decline in 2014. This notwithstanding, the Association of Banks in Lebanon said that there was no need for panic despite instable forecasts. (Al Hayat, Al Diyar, As Safir, 24 February 2014)

The USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project organized a closing workshop for the mechanical olive harvesting program held at West Hall Symposium, in the eastern Beirut suburb of Sin El Fil. The program aimed to improve the productivity of olive harvesting while decreasing costs for some 1000 olive oil producers across Lebanon. Representatives from 18 agricultural cooperatives and 60 olive producers from the North, South, Bekaa and Mount Lebanon participated in the event.
The Program Director, Rouland Andari, highlighted the significance of the project which aims at reducing the cost by 50%, saves time and effort and protects olives trees from damages resulting from traditional harvesting methods. Speaking to As Safir newspaper, Andari said that the program which began in 2012 is expected to be completed by 2017. The program stared by targeting some 250 beneficiaries last season, reaching 1000 farmers this year, 2000 next year, and 3000 beneficiaries in 2017. He added that the organizers have conducted training sessions on how to use the new technology for directors and heads of cooperatives. These are now transferring the knowledge to other olive farmers. The said project encourages the participation of youth and women. Out of 1000 farmers, some150 women have taken part in the project which has generated 73 jobs in rural areas of Lebanon. Some of the most significant outcomes of the 5-year Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Project which has a total budget of $41.7 million are: increasing in the productivity of olive orchards through protecting the trees; a reduction in harvest cost by 40%, which provides farmers with more flexibility in price setting. Moreover, statistics covering 18 cooperatives using the battery-operated harvesters have indicated that harvest cost has decreased to $0.24 from $0.40 for one kg, resulting in a total saving of $212000. Furthermore, the overall production from using 123 mechanical harvesters has reached 1325 tons, while total revenues have exceeded $80000 for all partner cooperatives. This latest figure is expected to rise by 20% in the next season. (As Safir, Feb 25, 2015)

Agriculture Minister Akram Shehayeb agreed to lower the price of 1L of milk to LBP1000 instead of LBP 1100, thus succumbing to pressures from the milk processing factories. Shehayeb was speaking after meeting with President of the National Council of Milk and Dairy Manufacturers and producers, Jack Kallas, and head of the Cooperative of Dreyb, in Akkar, Joseph Abdallah, in the presence of Ministry’s General Director, Louis Lahoud and his consultants. Kallas claimed that the “problem comes from a lack of trust in the Lebanese products and from dumping the market with foreign produce> He added that price of milk in Lebanon is high compared to LBP 400 to 500 in all other countries pf the world. The price of imported milk, powdered, labneh or cheese, even with a 100% custom added fees, he said, remains cheaper. For his part, Minister Shehayeb pointed out that agreement has been reached on a number of issues: “First, the ISO mark should be printed on the labneh or cheese product to help the consumer differentiate between the dry or fresh milk made labneh,” adding that he will send a letter to the Minister of Economy to this end. Shehayeb also disclosed that “some 127 milk factories are not licensed and therefore severely undermine the industry. As such, they are now required to settle their situation with the Ministries of Industry and Economy respectively; otherwise, they will be forced to close. Secondly, action will be undertaken to ensure the pre-registration of white cheese factories in Lebanon, in order to be thoroughly monitored.  Pre-registration of imported white cheeses will also be required. Finally and referring to tariff barriers and Arab Trade Facilitation Agreements, Shehayeb concluded by acknowledging the dumping of milk products through Arab countries thus sticking a severe blow to the sector.
(An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, 25 February 2015)

 The Syrian labor force is indispensable for Lebanese enterprises, especially those working in the construction and contracting sectors. According to estimation by the Lebanese Contractors’ Syndicate, there are some 350,000 Syrian workers in the country. The recent decision by the General Directorate of Public Security to regulate the status of Syrians refugees in Lebanon announced at the end of last year and amended on February 3, 2015, gave rise to many problems and protests. One major protest party, were big contractors who called for a meeting with the Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi to discuss what they formally termed as the issue of “Syrian labor in the contracting sector and the impact of the new procedures on this labor”. The main focus of their protest was the substantial employment fees and charges which they were not settling before and they are now obligated to do so. According to a member of the Lebanese Contractors Syndicate, Abdo Sukkarieh, the total additional amount now due for each Syrian worker in Lebanon is $2,000 annually and that is to cover the issuing of a work permit, accommodation, social security, and notary. It also to be noted, that the construction sector employs, according to the Sukkarieh, some 350 thousand Syrian workers at a minimum, distributed among 3400 companies, of which 3000 companies work in the private sector and 400 companies with the public sector, and that the estimated total value of work carried out by all construction companies is $10 billion. Sukkarieh also pointed out that the daily wage of Syrian worker is $20 for unskilled laborer, and $30 for professionals, denying that the level of wages have declined in parallel with the increasing number of Syrian refugees, and therefore workers. For his part, the head of contractors association, Fouad al-Khazen confirmed that the employment in non-specialized construction jobs consists entirely of Syrians workers.
In the meeting with Minister Azzi, Al Khazen announced that he fully understood the urgency for such extraordinary security measures in the prevailing conditions. However, he said, these new measures negatively impact the construction sector in many ways as was noted in the Syndicate’s working paper presented to Azzi.  From his side, the Minister reiterated the government’s previous position saying. “We are not biased towards any nationality, and we acknowledge that Syrian workforce has always been an asset to many industries in Lebanon before and after the Syrian war,” Azzi stressed the need to exercise tolerance and be sensible in dealing with Syrian nationals. “Not every Syrian is a terrorist,” he said. He suggested the setting up a special division at the Contractors’ Syndicate that will be responsible for following up and managing the implementation of the procedure for all contracting companies in their relation with the Ministry of Labor. Besides, it was suggested that a joint committee between the Labor department and the Syndicate be formed to try to find solutions to arising problems. The meeting came to a close with four recommendations: the establishment of a special department responsible for completing residency and work permits; a gradual regulation of the situation of Syrian workers; companies will not be required to submit all contractual details for individual workers provided that a certificate of membership should be submitted to the Syndicate; and finally, that the process of completion of transactions at the Ministry of Labor will be accelerated. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Akhbar, February 20 2015)  
 

 

A number of local cattle breeders and daily farmers blocked for several hours yesterday the main Baalbaq highway, at Sar’een village intersection, in the Beqaa area in protest over what they termed the “blackmailing practiced by milk factory owners” as well as against government negligence in implementing its decisions. The Ministry of Agriculture, it will be recalled, agreed to fix the price of one liter of milk at L.L 1100. The protests came after the sudden drop in prices from L.L1100 to L.L700 for one kg as well as in demand.  “A real economic crisis is unfolding which is not acceptable to us,” said one farmer, Hussein Shuman. “Dairy farmers have become heavily indebted to fodder suppliers after successive losses resulting from government negligence in reinforcing the agreed price of milk. Furthermore, the government has failed to put an end to the import of Turkish, Egyptian and Syrian dairy products, like labneh, cheese and smuggled milk and powder milk. Another farmer added that the current action will expand to Zahleh and elsewhere until the concerned authorities decide to act to protect local farmers against exploitation by dairy cartels and indefinitely stop the import of powdered milk. The farmers’ latest move coincided with a record drop in milk production, which will further aggravate the problem of the farmers. Official Statistics indicate that the domestic market needs over 300 tons of milk per day, whereby the current domestic production level barely reaches 200 tons. Despite this large imbalance between supply and demand which should be favorable to local dairy farmers, yet the latter are still unable to market their production. (As Safir, 23 February 2015)

There has been a sharp drop in the number of carob trees in the southern coastal mountain villages of Iqlim Al Kharoub district in the Chouf area, mainly due to the extensive cultivation of olive trees, among other factors. The carob tree which has been grown in the region since antiquity has been neglected for a long time. Urban development projects that swamped the area overtook the landscape and are now threatening the carob plantations with extinction. These challenges have prompted local authorities and civil organizations to carry out some modest reforestation efforts coupled with awareness campaigns. The carob fruit known as “carob pod” is picked in September of every year, is thrashed and the juice squeezed to extract molasses. There are reportedly only six carob pressing centers remaining in the Iqleem and are located in the towns of Burjayn, Ktermaya, Mazra’at al Dahr and Deir Mokhaless. Carob tree planting is of long term economic viability to Lebanon and the world according to FAO. In the Mediterranean region, Spain came first in 2012 accounting for 45% of world production, followed by Italy, 16%, Portugal, 9%, Morocco, 7.5%, Cyprus, 6%, Greece, 5% and Turkey, 4%. As for Lebanon and according to FAO sources, the production of carob recorded 2,300 tones representing less than 2% of world production. (Al Diyar, 19 February 2015)

In the aftermath of the recent blizzard that hit the agriculture sector in Lebanon, the head of the South District in the Farmers Association, Ramez Osseiran, warned that damages have affected nearly 50% of the green houses, including 50% of the citrus trees and fruits. Speaking to As Safir newspaper, he said, “Devastation started with the first storm to be succeeded with another, which makes it even harder on the farmer to put himself back together”. He described the year 2015 as challenging with no anticipated government compensations. “Farmers are now used to this”, he added. He made clear that damage to the agriculture sector will strike a wider-range of plants, for example, the early flowering almond and loquat trees, especially the certain types of trees growing in the coastal areas. He expressed his disappointment over the government’s neglect of this productive sector when farmers alone lack the means of resilience. In a similar note, and after a meeting chaired by Engineer Hassan Atwi, the board of the National Cooperative Fund for Insurance of the Agriculture Sector against Natural Disasters” urged the government, the Ministry of Agriculture and the High Relief Commission to act quickly and carry out an all-out assessment of damages and losses, mainly in the poultry, beekeeping, banana, vegetables and greenhouses industries. The Fund appealed for support in the form of a budget allocation from within the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget, which will allow the fund to compensate farmers, and to address the long term economic stability of farmers. (As Safir, February 20 2015)

The Minister of Industry, Dr Hussein Al Hajj Hassan, inaugurated yesterday a training center located at the Lebanese Standards Institutions in the presence of CEO Habib Ghaziri and General Director, Lina Dergham, and various staff members. The event which also witnessed the launching of LIBNOR’s new website http://www.libnor.gov.lb, took place at the Institution’s HQs in Beirut’s northern suburb of Dikwaneh.  The center will reportedly provide training courses to public and private sectors in the following fields: quality control and food safety, community awareness and responsibility, good practices of energy consumption, water and carbon marks, and in other practical systems. Hajj Hassan praised efforts exerted lately by the concerned authorities regarding food safety, adding, that the adoption of standard specifications is the only way to ensure compliance of products to national standards and give them their mandatory status.  LIBNOR he said, has made “mandatory a considerable number of non-mandatory specifications of food products”, adding, that this public institution which usually issues, publishes and amends national standards, is now moving to the training field with the opening of the new center.  For her part, Dergham confirmed the relentless endeavor of LIBNOR to issue new standards. Some 2700 standards have been issued to date, across all sectors. She concluded by saying that this organisations has become the primary technical reference for all ministries in the course of their inspection and monitoring campaigns, in addition to serving laboratories who carry out sampling and analysis of products. (As Safir, Al Diyar, February 19 2015)

For the sixth time in Beirut, and following its onset in 2007 in Dubai, the Arab Women and Al Mustaqbal Forum – NAWF, is expected to open its seventh session on Thursday, February 26, under the heading: “Empowerment through creativity and innovation”.  The Forum which will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beirut is organized by Al Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group and Al Hasnaa magazine. Speaking to Annhar newspaper, CEO and founder of the Forum, Nadine Abu Zaki, expressed the determination to hold the event in Lebanon despite the prevailing conditions. She underlined the high standing of the forum as a regional pivot for the various goings-on, and particularly, as a platform for the free debate of social issues. Abu Zaki considered the forum as the first think tank in the region that provides a space for constructive meetings and dialogue. Besides, Abu Zaki added, that the Forum openly addresses women’s issues and current affairs with no hidden cultural or political agendas. She concluded by emphasizing the importance of the forum in bringing together men and women from different countries, ethnicities and cultures in a spirit and discourse dynamic that results in new friendships, and facilitate the exchange of expertise and collaboration to achieve joint initiatives.
Among the key speakers at the opening ceremony, is the sponsor and honorary president of the Forum, PM Bahia Al Hariri, Nadine Abu Zaki, Minister of Social Affairs, Rashid Derbas, president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Muhammad Chukair, and CEO of the Lebanese Bank for Commerce BLC, Maurice Sahnawi.  The forum will conclude with presentations of several success stories based on the experience of pioneer entrepreneurs. For those wishing to participate in the planned forum and wanting to know more about the program, please subscribe your names on the website page: http://www.nawforum.com.
(Al Nahar, Feb 18, 2015)