News updates

The Minister of Labor (MoL), Sejaan Azzi, held a meeting yesterday with a delegation of the ILO during which he discussed the project entitled Promoting the Rights of Women Domestic Workers in Lebanon; especially the setting up of a hotline at the Ministry which would be accessible to all citizens and migrant workers (01540114). In another vein, the Minister presided yesterday over a meeting with the national committee to combat child labor.  The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant ministries, the national trade union, the ILO, the national employment office and various associations.  The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the capacities of ministries to address the realities of child labor.
Source: Al-Diyar 13 August 2014

Former Minister Nicolas Na7has lectured at the Wednesday Dialogue held in Tripoli by the Azm was Saadah association on the  special economic development fund which was set up by former PM Mikati with a seed fund of 25 million USD for the purpose of strengthening the economy of the city and supporting the employment of youth.
Na7has spoke about the importance of this fund as it will provide possibilities for new initiatives which are likely to create employment opportunities fro youth.  Na7has noted that the Fund will provide financial and technical support to any eligible project so that entrepreneurs can succeed in their venture and contribute to strengthening the economy in Tripoli.  Na7has also said that the revenues of the fund will be used to finance new project in that city.  He clarified that the fund is to benefit Tripoli citizens only with a view to help Tripoli regain its previous position as an economic pole for Lebanon and the northern region following years of neglect and demographic changes resulting from the migration of its people.
Source: Al-Diyar 13 August 2014

More than 30 women from Akkar working in agricultural cooperatives in Kfarh7abo, Qobayat, and 3Andakt took part in a series of training workshop on quality control.  The workshop was implemented within the framework of the project entitled “Improved Livelihoods for Underprivileged Women in North Lebanon” and which is implemented by the Rene Moawwad Foundation in collaboration with Mada Association, Fair Trade Lebanon, DOT Lebanon and the National Committee for Follow-up on women’s issues.  The project is funded by the European Union and has trained women to improve the quality of their production for the purpose of upgrading quality of local products according to international standards.

Source: L’Orient Le Jour 9 August 2014

The Daily star newspaper published a report about Sook al-Tayeb’s latest empowerment project entitled: “Bounties of Domestic Workers”, which is implemented in partnership with the International Labor Organization. The program aims at providing opportunities to women from underprivileged communities through food production. Some 15 migrant women domestic workers took part in the program and participated in the Sook al-Tayeb weekly market and catered for various events around town, including lunches at “Tawlet” restaurant and in the cafeteria in Jnah7 area.
Kamal Muzawak, founder of Sook al-Tayeb, told the newspaper that the women participating in the program have no professional background in food preparation, aside from cooking at Lebanese homes. Muzawak also pointed out that Sook al-Tayeb and the ILO initiated the program with several training workshops that were conducted in May, then they identified which authentic meals would be best suited for Lebanese tastes.
Furthermore, the newspaper pointed out that “Bounties of Domestic Workers” is one of a number of food-focused empowerment projects implemented by Sook al-Tayeb, which host Lebanese housewives from around the country.  Recently, new initiatives have included Palestinian refugees and women who fled the war in Syria, as well as mothers from Tripoli’s Bab al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods.
Source: The Daily Star 11 August 2014

The Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, commented the recent IMF report by noting that any analysis of its content should be done in the context of the impacts of the Syrian crisis on economic growth lest it be partial and flawed, adding that the report did not criticize government policies but underscored the difficult general context. Al Khalil noted that the report speaks about the political crisis in Lebanon, the need for structural reforms to address competitiveness, laying the foundation for a reinforced productivity and improving living conditions.  However, and according to Al Khalil, the report also points out to Lebanon’s inability to bear the cost of the Syrian displacement and the need for international aid assistance.  Al Khalil considered that the levels of economic growth referred to in the report are low compared to the pre-Syrian crisis period and that was due to the slow down in activities related to real estate, construction and tourism.  He added that the financial implication of the Syrian displacement on the treasury cannot be calculated accurately because there are no specific budgetary allocations for these items.

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Nahar 8 August 2014

The Union of Arab Banks sponsored by the Minister of Economy and Trade, Alan Hakim, is holding an Arab forum for bankers entitled “Small and Medium Enterprises: The road to economic development and social justice” on the 21st and 23rd of August.
The forum is the result of collaboration between the Union and Banque du Liban, General Union of Chambers of Commerce Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries, World Union of Arab Bankers, Investment Development Authority of Lebanon IDAL, and the Arab Union for Small and Medium Enterprises.
The Union of Banks, in a statement released yesterday, stated that this Forum carries a particular importance due to the presence of key public figures and because of the particular issues under discussion. In this context, Minister Hakim told Al Nahar newspaper that small and medium enterprises can play a major role in the reconfiguration of growth and in expanding its impact to all social classes. Minister Hakim stressed that Lebanon should seek to develop this sector as this will lead to a quantum leap for economic growth and for fair distribution of wealth.
The General Secretary of the Union Wissam Fattouh, on the other hand, noted that there is still a significant lack of funding for small and medium enterprises, according to the results of the study carried out in 2011 by the Union of Arab Banks in collaboration with the World Bank. The study covered a sample of 170 Arab banks form 16 Arab countries. Fattouh added that the expansion of small and medium enterprises in the last two years was accompanied by a growing interest from commercial banks to expand their financing of that sector.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Hayat, Al-Diyar 7 August 2014

A meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Economy and Trade chaired by the Minister of Economy Dr. Alan Hakim and the Minister of Industry Dr. Hussien Hajj Hasan, and in the presence of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists and the Syndicate of Food Industries representatives to discuss means of protecting national production. Minister Hajj Hasan stated that the meeting reviewed issues of common interest between the two Ministries especially regarding the protection of the national industry and curtailing the foreign trade deficit, which could reach USD 17 billion by the end of this year. The Minister called on the Cabinet to take appropriate measures to protect national production and bring an end to the dumping of foreign goods.  Hajj Hasan also noted that after reviewing existing laws that many must be amended.  Hajj Hasan stressed that the two Ministries have already taken action in this regard. For his part, Minister Hakim emphasized the importance of collaboration between the two Ministries in the framework of a common action plan. A joint committee will work on developing this action plan in coordination with the Association of Industrialists. Finally, Minister Hakim underscored the resilience of the Lebanese economy “which still stands firm until today”.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 7 August 2014

The Minister of Labor Sejaan Azzi held a meeting yesterday with representatives of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL) as well as employers. Azzi noted that the meeting discussed the cost of living index, which is estimated by an increase of 11.05% since 2012 according to the Central Administration of Statistics and ways of dealing with it to help better understand the economic reality with the aim of improving the productivity of economic institutions as well as the livelihoods of workers.
Azzi also noted that the meeting discussed the situation of foreign labor in Lebanon.  He confirmed that all parties support the current policy of the Ministry in preserving Lebanese labor.  According to the Minister, excessive use of foreign labor will affect the social fabric in Lebanon and will increase social and security problems.  Azzi addressed employers in Lebanon by saying that recruiting Lebanese workers on good wages will preserve the Lebanese economy and commerce whereas foreign labor tends to save money in order to transfer to their home countries (!!!)

Source: Al-Akhbar 6 August 2014

The IMF completed last July its report on Article IV Consultation with Lebanon and which highlighted the negative implications of the security situation in the region on Lebanon’s economic performance.  The report noted that economic growth in Lebanon dropped from 2.5% in 2012 to 1.5% in 2013 as a result of the degradation of the tourism and real estate sectors.  Economic activity will remain weak in 2014 especially in view of the fact that there are no signs of any solution to the Syrian crisis, underscoring the negative impact of the general situation on unemployment, economic activity and Lebanon’s general financial situation.
The IMF also warned that should the proposed review of the salary scale be adopted in 2014, then it will lead to rising cost of living.  He added that the proposed measures to raise revenues will fail short of financing the proposed salary scale.  The IMF suggested caution in dealing with this matter and urged authorities to take actions that will increase government revenues, ensure efficient collection of taxes as well as increasing taxation outreach base whilst insuring that it remains fair.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 6 August 2014

The Minister of Economy and Trade Alain Hakim discussed yesterday with the president of the cooperative of Sugar beet, George Hraoui, ways to support the sector and secure the rights of farmers especially in relation to last year’s harvest.  After the meeting, the Minister noted that discussions focused on the need to pay farmers their dues for the 2013 harvest which have already been cleared by the Ministry of Finance but is still awaiting a government decree to be issued to that effect.  The Ministry added that the Cooperative also demanded that Cabinet approves support for the 2015 season and that is before the end of September 2014 and so as to complete all the necessary field preparations.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Diyar 6 August 2014