News updates

The first conference of the LandcareMed project was organized last week at the Lebanese University (LU) focusing on the theme of “treatment of rural waste: scientific aspects and capitalization”.  The conference aimed at developing and building the capacities of local organizations and institutions to enable them to address the issue of household and rural organic waste in an economic and sustainable manner.  The project is jointly implemented by LU, Haret Saida and Zebdeen – Nabatieh municipalities, as well as Decimoputzu municipality and Cagliari University in Italy, and the Higher School of Rural Equipment Engineers (ESIER), in addition to Madjez al Bab municipality in Tunisia. The project has secured funding form the EU through a Euro 2 million grant from the ENPI CBC MED initiative.
The director of the Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Tayssir Hamieh, noted that this project will utilize a contemporary processing facility based on micro thermal degradation that will help treat solid organic waste through producing biological coal, which itself is a source of energy as well as a fertilizer.  He added that the project is entering its first phase which will extend over two years, and will include raising awareness on issues related to household waste.  Hamieh further added that citizens will be full partners in this initiative through sorting solid waste at home.  The project coordinator, Maria Laura Foddis, noted that the programme is not exclusive to the public sector but also is open to private sector and civil society as well as universities.  The project director at the Zebdeen municipality, Kassem Tufeyli, noted that the first phase has indeed kicked off and is focusing on a sample of 50 families (circa 200 individuals) and is also targeting restaurants, schools and commercial shops.
Source: Al-Safir 22 November 2014

ACADEMIA Lebanon launched its annual university exhibition yesterday at the UNESCO palace in collaboration with Makhzoumi foundation and under the auspices of Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab. The exhibition extended over 2 days, with the participation of some 70 universities from over 10 countries in the world, in addition to universities from Lebanon. Nasser Shatila, director of ACADEMIA Lebanon, noted that, surprisingly, some of the well known foreign universities are offering high-quality programs at quite affordable prices compared to universities operating in Lebanon, adding that this should encourage universities in Lebanon to improve their quality of education while lowering their prices.

Shatila also noted that this year many universities operating in Lebanon have already integrated oil and gas degrees in their programs following news about the discovery of oil and gas on Lebanon’s offshore, such as the Rafik Hariri University (RHU) and the Islamic University of Lebanon. The exhibition also included a number of workshops for educators and the first Youth and Petrol Conference which was organized in collaboration with the British council, and the participation of Amideast and the French Cultural Center (CCF).
Source: The Daily Star 20 November 2014

Prime Minister Tammam Salam met yesterday with a number of students from private and public schools at the Grand Serail, where they discussed the rights of youth unemployment rates and several other issues. Salam’s argument about the subject did not give the students any glimpse of hope.  He noted while speaking on the mass emigration of Lebanese youth that Lebanon is a small country and cannot provide job opportunities to all its graduates (!?). He added that, in recent years, some 35,000 engineers and 12,000 doctors graduated in Lebanon, noting that those numbers far exceed demand in the market. Salam also noted the surplus of universities in the country, adding that the Cabinet had delayed the approval of approximately 12 new university departments in an effort to ensure that standards of education remain up to par.
Source: The Daily Star 20 November 2014

Lebanese journalist Sahar Baasiri, wife of Lebanon's permanent representative at the UN, Nawwaf Salam, was elected yesterday President of the International Women Forum of the UN.  The Forum was created in 1975 and is under the auspices of the wife of the Secretary General.  It includes women ambassadors to the UN and its membership is also open to ambassadors' wives, women diplomats and women from the New York civil society scene.
Source: Al-Nahar, 20 November 2014

FransaBank organized yesterday at the Adnan Kassar building a joint press conference with Vitas Company, during which the bank distributed 24 prizes, of USD 1,000 each, to owners of small enterprises from different rural areas, and as part of the bank’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and in an attempt to strengthen balanced development. The President of Vitas, Ziad Halabi, considered in his keynote speech, that the partnership between his company and FransaBank is a glaring evidence that both sides are determined to support marginalized and low-income groups through helping them to access small financial services, and thus to contribute to social and economic development. For his part, the General Director of FransaBank, Nadim Kassar, noted that one of the main key pillars on which the bank builds its values and culture is that of empowering low-income individuals, through providing them with opportunities to overcome unemployment and improve their livelihoods. Kassar also noted that FransaBank has until now provided more than 10000 small loans, worth some USD 20 millions. The press conference included the projection of a short documentary film on how lives of low-income individuals in rural areas, have improved because of FransaBank loans.
Source: Al-Safir 19 November 2014

A ray of hope emerges when talking of green thyme harvests, amidst the constant talk about the general depressed agricultural seasons in Lebanon this year. According to Al-Safir newspapers the sellers of thyme, at the entrance of southern Tyre, seem this season optimistic as they merrily wait for the harvests at the beginning of winter. Al-Safir also noted that thyme cultivation has become part of modern agriculture since thyme planted fields are now irrigated using the “drip” system and the farmers are using organic compost in the preparation of the allotted lands. The report also highlighted that thyme growing employs hundreds of farmers and gives significant economic reward. One of the thyme growers in Shawakeer, an outskirt of Tyre, Ibrahim Zain, explained that in spite of the high cost of planting, land rentals, irrigation, prices of organic fertilizers and labor, thyme cultivation "rewards farmers for their efforts and hardships".
Source: Al-Safir, 19 November 2014

Al Hayat newspaper published the day before yesterday a report on the joint working spaces in Lebanon which provide youth entrepreneurs a starting point in their businesses.  According to the report, at a time when the idea of business pioneering appears risky in Lebanon and especially with the absence of state support for small and medium enterprises, this may gradually change through initiatives committed to the concept of entrepreneurship and based on the idea of creating joint spaces.  Such spaces are specialized for youth entrepreneurs for whom they secure basic services and offices at a nominal fee in addition to advice and guidance via continuous workshops.  These spaces also provide opportunities to meet business people and key pioneers in the field in addition to exchanging knowledge and experience amongst small projects holders thus enabling them to find solutions to improve their businesses.
The report highlighted two successful initiatives in Beirut notably Coworking 961 launched by Bader.  This initiative is located on Sursock Street and hosts a number of projects.  It provides youth with the opportunity to set up their own businesses which strengthens their productivity and professional capacity.  Other special initiatives which have spun out of the Forum are the Se77ati (My health) and Unusa (Femininity) websites which have become highly competitive on the net.  The founder of both sites, Elsa Aoun, noted that the Coworking 961 provided a big opportunity to the team and allowed them to grow and develop.  The second example is AltCity which is located in the Hamra district and hosts a number of youth pioneer talents including the Fade In project created by cinematography specialist Nadia Tabbara who produces films and writes scenarios and who noted that AltCity helped her realize her ambition not only through providing an ideal space but also through the support of the team from whom she learns a lot.
Source: Al-Hayat 17 November 2014

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) organized last week a workshop entitled “exporting to Russia”.  The event was held at the Adnan Kassar building and was attended by the Honorary President of the Federation of Arab Chambers, Adnan Kassar, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim, the Minister of Industry, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, IDAL’s president Nabil Itani, and the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, in addition to a number of presidents of Lebanese chambers and economic institutions and exporters, farmers as well as representatives of maritime transport.
Kassar opened the workshop with a keynote address during which he noted that the size of trade exchange between Lebanon and Russia is not commensurate with the existing capacities of the two parties and especially since Lebanon’s exports to Russia are modest and did not exceed some USD 12,000 in 2013 compared to some USD 918,000 for Russian imports.  Itani noted that Russia is a very important market for the agriculture and food sector particularly since Russia imports more that 50% of its local consumption of food and beverages.  Minister Hakim noted in his speech that the initiative to export to Russia came about as a result of close cooperation between the relevant Ministries and economic institutions according to a roadmap which involves defining needed products, Lebanese companies that produce them and Lebanese companies that export to Russia and the most appropriate means of transport.  Accordingly, suggestions will be made to develop existing trade agreements and to stimulate the work of the joint Lebanese-Russian business committee.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Akhbar, 15 October 2014

The President of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Mohammed Shucair, honored the Lebanese Business Women listed by Middle East Forbes Magazine amongst the strongest 200 Arab women for 2014.  The event was organized by the Chamber for the occasion during which Shucair noted that the representation of women in executive positions is not commensurate with the existing capacities in Lebanon.  He added that this gap is clear at the leadership levels in corporate and in the private sector and political life.  PM’s wife, Lama Salam also spoke at this event in addition to Minister Alice Shabtini and former first lady Mona Hrawi who addressed the honored women by saying that their success is due to their education and their belief in their capacity to succeed in a patriarchal society.  Hrawi considered that real growth and economic advancement cannot be realized if half the society is marginalized and, therefore, the participation of women is a matter of national interest.
Honored women included: Minister of the displaced Alice Shabtini, from the governmental sector category, Mona Buwarshi, CEO of the Jazaeiri transport company, Caroline Fattal Fakhouri business partner of Praesta, Shireen Maktabi, co-founder of Iwan Matabi shop, Rula Mussa business partner at Netways, Sawsan Wazzan Jabri, co-founder of Diet Center, Nadia Sheaib the President and CEO of Clinserv International, and Hanan Saab, founder and general director of Pharmamed, from family companies category. Randa al-As3ad, CEO of 3aref and Ben Touk for Architecture Consultations, Joumana Bassil Chelala, Deputy General Manager, Head of Group Consumer Banking of Byblos Bank, and Leila Hoteit co-founder and member of Boston Group.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal , Al-Diyar 15 November 2014

According to the Audi Group (AG) economic report for third quarter of 2014, both the agricultural and the industrial sectors have declined, with a decrease of 10.4% in agricultural exports but with an increase in internal demand, and a decrease of 21.7% for the Industrial exports, compared to 2013.  The report noted a modest improvement in the business and services sectors and a 4.2% improvement in tourism.  On the other hand, there was a slight deficit of 302 million LBP in the balance of payment despite an increase of 7.1% in financial remittances.  Exports to Syria have also increased by 9.1% and have reached USD 540 million.  The report also highlighted the resilience of the banking sector which was steadfast during the past nine months despite the local security upheavals.
With regards to the impact of Syrian refugees on Lebanon, the report noted that this is a two-edged sword as they have undoubtedly contributed to the local economy through increasing consumption of goods and services which has served to invigorate the economy, but have also posed an additional burden on the job market, he basic infrastructure and on the overall financial situation of the country. Referring to the last IMF report, AG predicted the level of unemployment to increase to 20% compared to 11% in 2011.  
Source: Al-Safir 17 November 2014