News updates

An event was organized at “Bayt el Wasat” to exchange an agreement regarding the operation of a packaging and refrigeration centre in the village of Qibbat Chambra w Samqala in Akkar, between Imkan 1 company, Imkan association and the municipality of Qibbat Chambra w Samqala in Akkar. The centre is being set up on a piece of land offered by former MP Saad Hariri.  The event was under the auspices of former MP Hariri represented by the general secretary of the Future Movement, Ahmad Hariri and in the presence of the resident representative of the Kuwaiti Fund, Nawwaf al Dabbous and several MPs.
On this occasion, the executive director of Imkan, Mayyadah Baydas, noted that her organization will seek to operate the central for public interest through providing the infrastructure needed for sorting, packaging, refrigeration and extension in a way that is transparent and efficient vis-à-vis farmers and merchants.  The centre will also offer other services to develop the agricultural sector in the region and so as to secure production that responds to market needs and for export. Dabbous noted for his part that the group is gathered to witness the process of offering this project to Akkar.  He highlighted that the Kuwaiti fund worked to address difficulties facing farmers in this area notably the absence of cooperatives and institutions which would help in packaging and refrigerating products and sell them at an optimal price.
Source: Al Mustaqbal and Al Diyar 7 November 2014

As Safir newspaper published today a report on the textile and clothing sectors which is nearing extinction as most textile factories have closed shop.  Indeed, these factories which numbered 1000 before the civil war and were a source of livelihoods to thousands of workers, have now downsized to some small workshops located in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Bourj Hammoud, Jabal Mohsen and Tripoli.  The size of membership in the textile factories’ syndicate decreased to no more than 35 of which 5 or 6 produce textile and the rest produce clothing.
The Secretary General of the Syndicate, Naji Mzannar, shared with As Safir the plight of the textile and clothing sector amidst an absence of official protection as well as an increased taxation of imports. He added that the European partnership agreement opened the door for merchants to import to Lebanon via Cyprus without paying custom taxes and the Arab Trade Agreement allowed foreign products to enter Lebanon via the UAE and other countries, thus increasing competitive pressures on Lebanese products.  For his part, the owner of a clothing and textile factory in Metn, Pierre Abdel Nour, underlined the high domestic production costs and noted that the state does not care for this sector and offers no facilities to those involved in it.
Source: Al-Safir 5 November 2014

The Jordanian authorities have now authorized 104 trucks filled with Lebanese potatoes to enter its territory after it had refrained to do so during the last few days claiming that it was protecting Jordanian farmers, in previous move which aggravated both Lebanese exporters and Jordanian merchants.  The president of the coalition of farmers in the Bekaa, Ibrahim Tarshishi, noted that this solution was essentially due to the contacts which were undertaken by Beqaa farmers with Jordanian counterparts whilst the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture did not intervene at all in the matter.  Tarshishi also spoke about the voices raised by Jordanian merchants and traders as a result of the increase in the prices of potatoes in Jordan, noting that the increase in prices within Jordan had apparently convinced the authorities there to allow the entry of Lebanese potatoes. This was also largely due to the fact that Lebanese exporters had adhered to the local imports schedule and thus did not violate any law.
Tarshishi also pointed out to the second major problem facing the export of Lebanese potatoes namely export to Syria, which he traced to the Lebanese authorities that are now requesting lab tests that are not even required by Syrian authorities.  Tarshishi concluded by pointing out that while the Jordanian authorities are taking measures to protect national products, and Syrian products are entering the Lebanese market unfettered, for their part, Lebanese exporters enjoy no official support to resolve their problems.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar 5 November 2014

Lebanese industrial exports have decreased by 5.12% during the first half of 2014 according to the statistics of the Ministry of the Industry.  Indeed, the total value of Lebanese industrial exports fell from some USD 1 billion and 807 millions in 2013 to some USD 1 billion and 581 million during the same period in 2014.  Similarly industrial exports, during the month of June 2014, dropped by 8.10% and reached USD 278.3 million compared to USD 312.2 million in June 2013.  Food exports ranked third of the most important Lebanese exports according to the same source, where USD 46.5 million worth of food products were exported during the month of June 2014 thus recording an increase of USD 1.9 million compared to June 2013. The same official sources noted that Arab countries were the most important destination of Lebanese exports having absorbed some USD 148 million or the equivalent of 53.2% of total industrial exports.  European countries ranked second with 16.3% followed by non-Arab Asian countries (15.4%) and other African countries (10.9%).
The President of the Industrialist Syndicate, Fady Gemayel, commented on this decline by linking it to the precarious security situation prevailing in some countries of the region. He also expected this decline to continue until the end of 2014.  Gemayel reiterated the importance of finding viable new alternatives in order to boost economic dynamic which will enable all economic parties to overcome this phase with as little losses as possible.  He noted that such new alternatives include the identification of new markets, adding that efforts are being extended to explore Russia as well as other potential markets.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 5 November 2014

The Daily Star published a report about Fatheyah Hussein Diab, a woman displaced from Syria earlier this year along with her 3 children and her handicapped husband.  The family settled in a modest house in the southeast village of Wazzani. The report noted that due to her asthma, Diab was not able to join the other displaced women and take part in harvesting and agriculture work.  Her two eldest children, a 15-year-old boy and his younger sister, work in the fields and earn LBP 8,000 and LBP 6,000 respectively each day. Diab decided to learn how to sew and joined a course offered by a Lebanese association. After learning the basics of the trade, she bought a sewing machine with some money she borrowed and started working straight away to pay off the debt.  Diab did not want to “embarrass her husband or humiliate him in any way”. Diab works 10 hours per day and produces around three dresses daily.  She sells her dresses to women farmers at circa LBP 5,000 a piece and hence earns between $5 and $10 a day.  The report concluded in highlighting Diab's resilience in the face of adversity as well as her hopes to expand her business.
 
Source: The Daily Star, 3 November 2014

Lebanese businesswoman and CEO of Smile Holding, Lamice Juju, was awarded the gold Stevie prize in the “Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Europe, Middle East & Africa” category given her presidency of private companies in her holding and the services these provide for children and youth and which seek to nurture their minds and develop their cultural and educational capabilities as well as focusing on young girls and seeking to build their personalities and their self confidence.
To be noted, the Stevie awards seek to honor business women and men across the globe and are considered the most distinguished in recognizing creativity and distinction in business.  Some 60 countries participated in this year’s awards and 300 managers from various countries acted as the Jury.  The process extended over two months followed by the final selection which extended over two weeks. Prizes of this 11th edition of the event will be awarded during a ceremony that will be held on 14th of November in New York.
Source: Al-Arabi Al-Jadid 3 November 2014

L’Oreal, UNESCO and the National Council for Scientific Research (NCSR) honored 5 Arab women researchers who received the l’Oreal-UNESCO prize for Women in Science (Levant and Egypt Fellowship) 2014.  The event was held last week with the participation of the Minister of Culture, Raymond Oreyji.  The General Secretary of NCSR, Muin Hamzeh, noted in his keynote address that Arab women constitute 25% of Arab researchers and women in higher education constitute 65% of total in the Arab region but only 11% of international scientific institutes are headed by women.
Winners of the L’Oreal-UNESCO prizes for women in science included Dr. Rihab Naser from AUB for her experimentation on a new drug to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, Professor Samaher Hussein Ali Al Janabi from Babel University for her research to develop health care applications, Assistant Professor Rana Said from the Amman Ahlieh University for her research to develop technologies to examine drug samples, Assistant Professor Nuritan Abdel Tawwab from Cairo University for her research on patient’s reaction to a new Hepatitis C drug according to their DNA map, and Professor Ilham al Khatib of the East Jerusalem University for her research project on dental health of pregnant women and children.
Source: Al-Safir 1 November 2014

The Minister of Labour (MoL), Sejaan Azzi, endorsed a decision to close two employment offices, one in Mount Lebanon and one in Baalbek after confirming that they were in violation of the laws.  Azzi’s media office issued a statement last week noting that judicial investigations started with a number of employment offices following the request of the Interpol which received complaints from a number of countries who said that women were being sent to massage parlors and night club rather than being employed as domestic workers.  Azzi’s statement added that law enforcement is pursuing all those shown to be in infringement of the laws and investigations are on-going with women brought in from Asia, Africa and Latin America.  Furthermore, the owners of the two employment offices in questions have been arrested and are being interrogated.  Moreover, Azzi asked law enforcement to conduct regular patrols of massage parlors to ensure that they work within the law.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 1 November 2014

For more information on closing other employment offices, please refer to the news published on the WEEPortal on 14/10/2014: A ministerial decision to close two MWDW employment offices in Bint Jbeil and Tyre with no explanations

Al-Nahar newspaper published a new report about the franchise sector in Lebanon which exports trademarks and marketing concepts and style from different sectors notably restaurants, bakeries, jewelry, and fashion to some 45 countries worldwide.  The franchise industry, both import and export, constitutes some 4% of the total GDP and provides 99,000 work opportunities and a turnover of some USD 1.5 billion in addition to the fact that Lebanon operates some 1100 single franchise concept in more than 5500 selling points.
The report included an interview with the president of the Lebanese Franchise Association (LTA), Charles 3arbid, who spoke about the decline of the economy and noted that internal consumption regressed by 20% since the beginning of the year especially in the retail sector, while the industrial exports declined by 17% during the past six months.  He added that since the Franchise sector depends mostly on export, it has the ability to compensate these losses.  He also noted that LTA is planning to open new horizons for Lebanese Franchises in African countries given the presence of a large Lebanese Diaspora.  3arbid spoke about the problems facing this sector highlighting those related to protection of intellectual property, and assuring that the association is in constant communication with the Ministry of Economy and Trade and the Ministry's Director General in order to create the necessary legal protective environment for the sector.  In conclusion, 3arbid said that the association will soon be launching an initiative to develop the work of the sector in traditional markets in collaboration with Municipalities as well as the Association of Beirut Merchants and local authorities, which will include the old souks of Tripoli, Byblos, Saida and Beirut.
Source: Al-Nahar 31 October 2014

For more information on the Franchise sector in Lebanon, please refer to the following news, published previously on the WEEPortal:
The franchise dining sector flees Lebanon and expands into the GCC, on 23/10/2014
Franchising represents 4% of Lebanon’s GDP while EU official calls for domestic protective measures, on 10/4/2014

Nahar newspaper published a report about Dr. Ilham Kallab Bsat, a woman who, according to the daily newspaper, is highly equipped and qualified to enter political life given her experience in academic and public life and her work at the Lebanese University, the Saint Joseph University and the American University of Beirut.  Bsat is also a women's rights activist and a member of the NCLW as well as the President of the Association of University Women.  In the report, Bsat spoke about the achievements of her association notably at the level of combatting violence against women.  She added that the work of the organisation includes awareness raising sessions on the importance of women's right. Bsat also noted the work of the organisation with students whom it introduces to national values via a creative competition which theme this year focuses on accepting others and the right to diversity.  This, for her, is a new opportunity to prove the extent to which the new generation is able to create new ideas to fight against racism and rejection of other people.
Source: Al-Nahar 31 October 2014