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The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon (CCIA), Mohammed Shucair, announced during his visit to the Minister of Industry, Hussein Hajj Hassan, that the training centre on food safety recently set up by the Chamber is organising, in collaboration with the Franchise association, its first workshop on January 20th which will be followed by similar workshops in other Chambers of the country.
Hajj Hassan noted for his part the need to pursue the joint effort between Ministries and the private sector on the subject of food safety, emphasizing on making it a permanent and institutional activity. He also called for enhancing the monitoring and control role of public institutions over the private sector, highlighting the importance of continuous training and full adherence to food safety standards.  Hajj Hassan noted that there is no contradiction in interests between food safety and the national economy.  He added that it is to the benefit of private institutions involved in tourism and food to maintain high standards and to improve their work. He further noted that the control role of the public sector is in order to help these institutions ensure food safety.  Hajj Hassan clarified that the forthcoming trainings which will take place in 2015 and 2016 will include employers and employes and will pave the way for receiving HACCP, ISO 22000, 19000, 18000 certificates; a matter of great importance for industries involved in production of high risk to public health.

(Source: Al-Diyar 15 January 2015)
 

 The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, headed the meeting of the National Council to Promote Rural Tourism in Lebanon which was held the day before yesterday.  The Minister noted that rural tourism is a wide and subject which includes rural, religious and agricultural tourism as well as others.  He added that the newly developed rural tourism strategy is based on improving marketing, promoting consumers' awareness through highlighting pathways of rural tourism as well as its local and international products and services, as well as protecting environmental, cultural, historical and agricultural heritage of rural areas.  During the meeting, Pharaon announced that a workshop will be held in the Serail in early Februaryt to launch the first practical steps of the strategy.  Pharaon clarified that the development of the strategy was accompanied by serious preparation work in many of the targeted areas.  Jezzine, Shouf, Mid Bekaa, Batroun and Byblos all expressed immediate interest in the endeavor while further meetings will be held later in other areas after they complete their proposal. Pharaon further added that eco tourism and religious tourism will be moving in tandem this year in terms of emphasis and marketing.  He indicated that during the period of five years, rural tourism will be developed so as to represent 15 to 20% of tourism in Lebanon compared to only 5% today.
 (Source: Al-Diyar & Annahar 14 January,2015)
 
 

 The “Baladi” programme for building alliances for progress, development and local investments, and which is implemented by USAID announced that it will start receiving development project projects from those municipalities wishing to receive support from the programme. The period for submitting applications extends from 15January to 15 March 2015.  All details related to the application will be available during that period via the following link: http://www.baladi-lebanon.org. The programme also invited municipalities, CSOs and community members to attend the seminars which will be held in different parts of the country on how to prepare and submit proposals in addition to the project criteria.  Seminars will start in January 19th and will continue until February 2nd.
 (Source: Al-Mustaqbal 14 January, 2015)
 

According to the study on urban poverty prepared by the Ministry of Social Affairs in collaboration with ESCWA and UNDP and launched two days ago, 57% of the population in Tripoli are poor and deprived and 26% live under the poverty line, 77% have difficult economic conditions, 35% suffer from health problems and/or live in insalubrious conditions, and 25% are deprived from education.

The study also indicated that the proportion of poverty and deprivation varies from one area to another and is at its peak in Tebbaneh and Suwayqah where it reaches 87% of the population compared to 75% in the old market, 69% in Qobbeh and Jabal Mohsen, 63% in El Mina, 36% in Al-Tal and in Al Zahirieh , 26% in Al Mina Basateen  and 29% in Basateen Tripoli. As for the proportion of  extreme poverty, ratios are as follows: 52% of the deprived families live in in Tebbaneh and Suwayqah, 36% in the old town medina, 28% in El Mina, 28% in Qobbeh and Jabal Mohsen, 11% in Al-Tal and in Al Zahirieh, 10% in Al Mina Basateen and 10% in Basateen Tripoli.

The study noted that dealing with this situation must look at the causes and launch mechanisms which will help achieve sustainable outcomes.  The study presents three approaches to address the needs and capabilities of the area and ensure safety and security as two conditions sine qua none for any development plan.  The main aim of any development plan should be to set up an economic process which is in line with the national economy and focusing on employment of young people.  The study ends with several conclusions namely that Tripoli is a poor city which includes pockets of opulence, that poverty bears many dimensions which are strongly interconnected, that there is a need to minimise the gaps in wealth in the city, that there is a need to invest in large economic projects, and for a strong local governance, that present political cleavages in Tripoli encourage chaos.  The study further concluded  that there is a need to redraw the profile of Tripoli and to tap on unused resources and recognise that the current general trend in the city is that of further impoverishment.

(Source: As-Safir, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Akhbar 12 January 2015)

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