News updates

Byblos Bank recently signed its third agreement with the European Investment Bank according to which Byblos Bank will allocate a total of EU 45 million as loan to small and medium businesses.  Byblos Bank will be providing these businesses with credit facilities at competitive (fixed and otherwise) interest rates over extended periods of time reaching up to 12 years.  Byblos Bank will also encourage women’s entrepreneurship and environmentally friendly initiatives especially in productive sectors such as industry, services, health, energy, communication, ICT, higher education as well as industries based on the knowledge economy.
The vice director and responsible of commercial banking services at the Bank Byblos Group, Fadi Nassar, noted that small and medium enterprises are a driving force that encourages investment and international trade amongst the private sector and is a augur for a more prosperous future for the youth.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 3 July 2014

The Minister if Economy and Trade, Alain Hakim, had a discussion yesterday with a delegation representing the food industry syndicate and presided by Munir Bsat.  The discussion covered the situation of the food industry and the challenges it is facing.  Bsat declared at the end of the meeting that the discussion focused on 4 key points:

1)      The collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Trade within the framework of the quality programme (QUALEB) which provides technical support to factories so that they acquire the ISO certification and which currently benefits 30 factories.  The delegation requested a larger outreach for this programme with the support of the EU so that it covers a larger chunk of the sector.

2)      Collaboration with the Ministry in the design of the Lebanon pavilion at the Milano 2015 food exhibition.

3)      Requesting the Ministry’s support towards participation in other exhibitions within and outside Lebanon.

4)      Protecting intellectual property and trademarks of Lebanese factories and modernizing the work of the directorate of intellectual property.

Bsat also noted that the meeting discussed the issue of consumers’ protection and relations with departments and directorates within the Ministry.  Both parties agreed to prepare a working paper addressing all issues of concern.

(Source: Addiyar 2 July 2014)

 

The President of Union of Municipalities of Central and Coastal Qayta'a, Ahmad el Mir, declared on behalf of the municipalities and federation of municipalities in Akkar, as well as MPs Mouin al-Merhebi  and Nidal Tohmeh, and several local leaders, the launch of the campaign “justice for the Mohafaza of Akkar”.  The aim of the campaign is to inform the public on the marginalization of Akkar by this cabinet and its predecessors especially following decision number 99 and  Decree number 13068, issued by the Lebanese government and  which allocated to Akkar only USD 7 million out of a total of USD 200 million earmarked for development projects across Lebanon.

Al Mir called for a sit-in by the Municipality in Halba next Saturday July 5th in addition to a sit-in by the Serail in Beirut which date will be decided later.  Those present in the meeting also threatened with escalating their actions reaching  civil disobedience.  In addition, a committee of lawyers was set up to undertake a legal study of the said budgetary allocation especially that MPs had in the past protested the way in which development budget was distributed.

Within the same vein, MPs Merhebi and Daher and the presidents of federations of municipalities drafted a letter to MP Tammam Salam informing him of the objection regarding the decision and asking him to revert it. Furthermore, the municipalities, municipal federations and CSOs observed last Sunday a sit in at the municipal hall in Halba as a first step in their mobilization against this decision.  The President of Union of Municipalities of Qayta'a, Abdul Ilah Zakaria, asked the Cabinet whether Akkar and its resident are on the map of Lebanon and called for justice. He also declared that Akkar will no longer accept being marginalized; stressing that the financial allocations must be made according to population size and surface area.  Finally, he insisted that the allocation for Akkar should represent at least 13% of the total earmarked funds.
(Source: Al – Akhbar, Addiyar 1 July 2014, Assafir 30 June, Assafir- Nahar, Al Mustaqbal 28 June 2014)

The Lebanon's Tobacco Regie inaugurated last week its new administrative and vocational training centre located in its headquarters in Hadath.  The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, who noted that public administration has the capacity to transform current trends in public service, set sound basis for the relation between citizens and the administration and between the administration and political powers.  He added that this event is an achievement as it goes beyond the framework of developing one single administration and contributes to renewing trust in the public sector, its administration and institutions.  The Minister confirmed that if this initiative if properly accompanied, it is able to produce qualified cadres who will ensure that the state is the guardian of all production administrations.  Khalil added that any new orientation concerning tobacco cultivation should be accompanied with a clear strategic vision of how the state can protect farmers and the adoption of clear and sustainable economic alternatives.
The president of the board of directors of the Lebanon's Tobacco Regie, Nassif Seklaoui, noted that opening this administrative and vocational training centre is like setting the cornerstone for ensuring quality through grounding a culture of continuous learning and creating a favorable environment for civil servants.  Seklaoui noted that the income of this sector has grown and reached USD 1.7 billion over the last three years, 78% of which are net profits compared to 42% in 1975.  He also noted that the government revenues from this sector increased from USD 93 million in 1994 to USD 548 million in 2013 with an average annual increase of 10%.
(Source: Addiyar and Annahar 30 June 2014)
 

The UAE Embassy, BankMed and Imkan financial institution signed a MOU to support small and medium enterprises for youth and women and Lebanon.  According to this MoU, Imkan will be providing loans ranging between LBP 500000 and 15 million over a three years period. BankMed’s CEO, President and general director of Imkan, Mohammed Ali Beyhum, emphasized the concern of the Bank and the Institution to support economically active individuals of limited income as this MoU will provide them with the opportunity to receive small loans services which are otherwise not available in the banking sector. The UAE Embassy attaché, Hamad Mohammad al Junaibi, noted that launching this initiative is part of the development plan of the Al Khalifa Humanitarian Organisations which seeks to help communities develop through small and medium projects for youth and women especially amidst the rampant unemployment and limited job opportunities.  
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 27 June 2014

The Minister of Industry, Dr. Hajj Hassan Hussein, launched last week, a project entitled “Supporting the production capacity of hosting communities in Lebanon” which is implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and with a USD 600,000 grant from the Japanese government.
UNIDO expects that this project will yield 300 new employment opportunities and will allow an unidentified number of small and medium industries in the Bekaa to respond to the purchasing needs of aid agencies in addition to exchanging technical skills between Syrian dis0placed and host communities with emphasis on including youth and women.  The sectors targeted include furniture, textile, and aluminum work. UNIDO’s regional representative, Cristiano Pasini, noted that host communities in poor rural areas are unable to adapt with minimum livelihood requirements and, as such, UNIDO will support the production capacities of industrialists in this area and will allow them to reach various markets.  The Minister spoke about the impact of the Syrian crisis especially on the industrial sector and noted that the project will help this sector through rehabilitating and equipping some small and medium industries in the Bekaa.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar, Al-Akhbar, Al-Safir 30 June 2014

A laboratory for olive oil testing was inaugurated in Kfarshima last week within the framework of the “Lebanon oil” project which is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the ICU institute and with financial support from the Italian government.  The event took place was under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, who stressed the importance of this laboratory which is capable of carrying out all kinds of tests according to international standards and criteria.  Chehayeb called for further collaboration to support the olive oil sector so that it becomes a high quality and highly competitive product. For his part, the Italian Ambassador, Giuseppe Morabito, noted that this laboratory is the result of a long term commitment by the Italian Cooperation in support of the agricultural sector in Lebanon through the implementation of several projects in the field of comprehensive local development, improvement olive oil quality, and the carrying out a number of scientific and maritime researches.

Source: Al-Nahar 30 June 2014

Ms. Tanya Musallem, assistant general director and director of finance and business development at the BLC bank, was recently appointed vice-president of the Global banking Alliance for Women GBA in recognition for her commitment to developing a number of programmes which assist women to grow their businesses and benefit from banking services designed specifically for them such as the Women Empowerment (WE-Initiative).
Musallem joined BLC bank in 2008 and represents it in the board of the Global banking Alliance for Women since September 2013.  She possesses 18 years of experience of working with banking and financial institutions and has graduated from AUB and ESSEC in France. To be noted that the Global banking Alliance for Women includes a number of the most established and largest financial and banking institution on the international markets and operates individual and collective initiatives aiming at facilitating women’s involvement in businesses, money markets and banking.

Source: Al-Akhbar 30 June 2014

INSAN released last week the findings of its study conducted with employers and migrant domestic workers regarding their views of the Kafala (sponsorship) system which regulates the employment of migrant women domestic workers in Lebanon and their views of possible alternatives which could better secure the rights of both parties.  The event took place during a press conference held by INSAN under the auspices of the Minister of Labour, Sejaan Azzi.
Azzi insisted that the need to abide by the Lebanese labor laws which, according to him, guarantees the full rights and dignity of migrant workers.  He added that he did not mind “overplaying” the problem of the rights of migrant workers but it is unacceptable to make the country look as if it does not respect their rights especially that Lebanon contributed to drafting the Charter of Human Rights (!!?) and Lebanon has the first labor law in the region.  He insisted that migrant workers are “comfortable” in Lebanon and that is why they come here (!!!!?).  He added that Lebanon has a labor law, a Ministry of Labor, general security and police and anybody who feels unjustly treated can go to any of them.  He reiterated his proposal to abolish employment offices, if sending countries agree. In that case migrant workers should take full responsibility of their accommodation, food, clothing and medical care.  He added that migrant workers should abide by the law as long as their Lebanese employers pay them a wage which they have accepted.  He added that is there is any abuse by some employers, the responsibility does not lie on the Lebanese side only but also on the side of the migrant workers as wheels and deals do not only start at the airport in Beirut but in the sending countries as well.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 30 June 2014

The Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union organized yesterday a round table with owners of food industries in Lebanon.  The event was entitled “diversity in the workplace” and was organized within the framework of the LPHU social and economic inclusion project.  The workshop was held at the Syndicate’s centre in Sin el Fil and under the auspices of the President of the Syndicate of Food Industrialists, Munir Bsat, with the participation of 13 food manufacturers, and aimed at raising awareness regarding the capacities of people with disabilities as workers, appropriate workplace design and employment adaptations.
Source: Al-Safir 27 June 2014