News updates

The Director General of the Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture in Zahleh and the General Secretary of Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA), Youssef Geha, attended, upon the invitation of UNDP-Art Gold, a conference in Brussels entitled: “Family farming: A dialogue towards more sustainable and resilient farming in Europe and the world”, and which extended over two days with the participation of some 3000 invitees worldwide.  The conference discussed the realities of development in various countries of the world with special focus on poor and developing countries. These countries gave presentations on their respective country experiences whilst highlighting the role of local governance institutions in promoting economic development and the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors for the process of drawing annual plans and strategies and for putting forward realistic projects and studies.
Geha spoke during a panel of experts in development, highlighting Lebanon’s developmental realities and the challenges faced.  He also spoke of successful relations that exist between Lebanese institutions and international donor organisations.  He presented the experience of the Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture in Zahleh and the Beqaa, especially the success recorded in replacing marijuana culture with grapevines in the areas of Deir el Ahmar, as well as the creation of an agricultural cooperative specifically for that purpose.  This specialised cooperative is also intending to set up a workshop for production and marketing.  Geha also spoke about the creation of Local Economic Development Agency (LEDA) which is a new organisational structure made possible with financial input from the UNDP and including representatives of the Chamber of Zahleh and the Beqaa in addition to representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, cooperatives, farmers, the syndicate of beekeepers, LARI and  various universities.  Geha shared with the other participants the work experience of this new outfit, especially in relation to improving the quality of products from the Beqaa and supporting marketing based on the initial intervention of the Chamber in creating a Food Quality Control Bureau.  A quality trademark will be introduced soon to be used for labeling products which pass the quality control tests and so as to be a trademark for external marketing.

Source: Al-Diyar 10 December 2013
For further information on this conference, please consult the following link: “Family farming: A dialogue towards more sustainable and resilient farming in Europe and the world”

Ziad Shammas, board member and President of the Environment & Energy Committee at the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), said that the industrial sector in Lebanon suffers from several shortcomings notably its inability to secure green jobs.  He noted that the Industrialists Association is trying to address this problem through introducing a number of measures within its Environment and Energy Department and so as to promote the creation of an industrial environment conducive to investing in eco-friendly industries which will directly contribute to creating green jobs in Lebanon.
Shammas’ key note address was made during a workshop on supporting green jobs and decent work in the MENA region, which was organised by the ILO and ESCWA in Turin (Italy).  The aim of the workshop, according to the ILO, was to develop policies and programmes which would encourage the creation of green jobs locally and nationally through raising awareness amongst ILO partner organisations of the MENA region, on the importance of the social and job creation components in the green economy.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 10 December 2013

The Centre for Educational Research and Development (CERD) organised in collaboration with the DPNA a meeting that was held last week at the premises of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in order to discuss progress in implementing the program entitled: Entrepreneurship education towards a pioneering society in Lebanon.  The event was attended by a number of business people and sought to brief economic decision makers on the phases completed by this programme so far with the aim of securing their support and bring them into the Coalition currently being set up and which is expected to become a major incubator for business enterprises in Lebanon.  The Coalition thus far includes the Ministry of Higher Education, a number of other Ministries, international organisations, and economic institutions as well as civil society organisations.  The meeting also sought to harvest views and insights of attendees into the drawing of a national strategy to support business enterprises and of broad policies that would support such a direction.  CERD’s Director, Leila Mali7ha Fayyad, noted that CERD is currently taking steps towards introducing the concept of entrepreneurship in the educational and technical curricula in a gradual fashion.  The concept has now been mainstreamed with other subjects and with planned co-academic activities.  Fayyad noted that Lebanon has become a pioneer internationally in addressing the concept in this way through the initiative of CERD.
Source: Al-Diyar 9 December 2013

The IT-CEO association organised in collaboration with the American University for Science and Technology (AUST) a workshop entitled: “University ICT teaching systems and ways to meet the requirements of the local job market”.  The event was organised at the AUST campus in Achrafieh and included a keynote address by the President of the association, Nazaran Nabkolian, who spoke about the mission of the university and the objectives it seeks to meet through collaborating with other universities, with the banking, health care, educational and economic sectors, adding that AUST also collaborates with the relevant Ministries namely the Ministry of Telecommunication.  The Vice President of AUST, Riad Sakr, hoped that the students will benefit from this activity by connecting with the various sector in order to find employments.  He highlighted that AUST seeks to match its teaching curriculum with the job market and is continuously monitoring trends in that domain.
Source: Al-Diyar 9 December 2013

Seven rural women cooperatives received yesterday a gift of agricultural equipment offered by the national programme to improve the quality of olive oil and to combat the almonds phytoplasma.  The benefiting cooperatives included the agriculture cooperative in Dar al Was3a - al Amira, the agriculture cooperative in Tarayya, the agriculture cooperative in Bednayel, the agriculture cooperative in Baalbak - al Qal3a, the agriculture cooperative in Haret Saida, the agriculture cooperative in Hareess - al Imad, and the agriculture cooperative in Ghaziyeh, which were awarded the equipments during a ceremony organised for the occasion under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture (MoAg), Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan who emphasized in his speech importance of supporting rural women cooperatives with a view to improving their crafts and home based production.  Hajj Hassan noted that in addition to being educators, women seek to become productive especially since many of them are fully responsible for the livelihoods of their families.

Hajj Hassan further added that his Ministry will offer training, financial and material support as well as assistance in marketing and other forms of assistance namely in the form ofdistribution of agricultural inputs (seedlings, pesticides, etc..) as he noted that training, quality control and improving health and safety measures are a sure way to increase profits andto ensure the sustainability of the cooperatives.  He also added that current modes of olive oil productions need some measure to qualify as organic production which would give oil production an international added value.  Hajj Hassan called on the cooperatives to organise into a union for the production of organic olive oil.  He emphasized that his Ministry would be ready to support such an initiative through the new marketing outlets that the Ministry is currently setting up in various parts of Lebanon and which will devoted entirely for this purpose.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 6 December 2013

The Islamic Association for Guidance and Higher Education (IAGHE) organised yesterday its sixth orientation exhibition entitled “A trade in the right direction” at the UNESCO palace. Some 26 universities and 10 vocational sectors took part in the event in addition to the military academy participating for the first time, and which introduced students to the process of enrolling in the military school.

The exhibition will be open for visitors till Saturday and will include a number of health-related, medical and agricultural activities. The inauguration of the exhibition was held under the auspices of the Minister of Public Health, Ali Hassan Khalil who noted that professional and career orientation is a social approach which includes various stakeholders such as the educational, professional and economic sectors.  He also pointed out to the importance of thinking beyond the classical educational molds and emphasized the important role that universities can play in resolving societal challenges and meeting needs.  He further added that the relation of the university with its environment should be based on a clear policy that takes into consideration competition standards as well as the realization of human and community development. It also should contribute to the building of a knowledge economy and society particularly given the absence of an official and strategic high educational vision in Lebanon.

Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 6 December 2013

The Minister of Economy and Trade, Nicolas Nahhas, issued a memorandum (9/H.Sh) to wheat and barley farmers informing them of the conditions to be met in order to benefit from government subsidies. 

The memorandum includes the following:

1. Submission of completed form for wheat and/or barley farming.  The form is provided free of charge and should be submitted between 2/12/2013 and 31/1/2014 and should include the following requested documents:
   1. Copy of ID or civil register or family register (the latter should have been issued within a maximum of three month period)
   2. Real estate certificate covering the parcel to be planted with wheat and/or barley
   3. Statement of surface area that is not constructed and which is also issued within a period of three months maximum
   4. The registration number of the surface area that is not constructed (not included in points b or c) along with a map of the estate
   5. Agricultural lease for those farming land that they do not own
   6. A contract signed either by the notary general (for each planted area exceeding 75 dunum or for a total of 75 dunum of ranted and planted land without it being necessarily owned by the same landlord) or by the municipal head or the Mukhtar in case the village does not have a municipality (for planted areas below 65 dunums).
2. The application should be submitted during the official working hours at the following:
   1. The representation centre for the Ministry of Economy and Trade/General Directorate of Grains and Beet in Tell Amara/Ryak
   2. Office of Economy and Trade in Nabatieh (for the South Lebanon and Nabatieh Mohafazat)
   3. Office of Economy and Trade in Tripoli (for the North Lebanon Mohafazat)
3. The concerned person should submit his/her own application and not via and intermediary.
4. Each person should submit one comprehensive application.
5. Applications should be submitted within the set deadline and so as to allow the administration to undertake a proper assessment.
6. Farmers whose application is accepted by the administration and by the Diwan Al Mouhassaba will benefit from the subsidy.  The information in the application may not be changed after the deadline for submissions has elapsed.
7. Agricultural engineers and surveyors will undertake a field mapping of the planted areas and subsidies will only be given to the areas that has been checked and verified.
8. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
9. Persons providing false information will be liable to prosecution.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Mustaqbal 4 December 2013

Al Diyar newspaper published a report on Khan el Frenj located in the center of Saida and which was transformed into a small hostel for tourists and a space for exhibiting local products.  Al Hariri Foundation had started in 1992 working on repairing the space including reinforcing the infrastructure and the stone work.  Khan el Frenj is a stone construction with two entrances and two floors.  The ground floor includes 36 units which used to house the merchandise of French traders and provide stables for their horses.  The first floor includes 50 units formerly used as lodgings for foreign traders.  Six of these units have now been equipped to become a small hostel available at symbolic prices to tourists and so as to encourage tourism in the area.  The remainder units are now allocated to Lebanese crafts producers to encourage young artists as well as Anamiluna Foundation which works to support women through training in embroidery and knitting.  One of the units was given to the Ministry of Social Affairs to exhibit traditional Lebanese crafts and another is used by the Ministry of Tourism to help tourist and provide them with information about the history of Khan el Frenj.
Source: Al-Diyar 4 December 2013

The new Board of Directors of the Association of Keserouan Industrialists now includes Ms. Carol Milan as vice-chair and Ms. Nicole Abdallah as secretary.  The Board elections were held yesterday and were presided by Nicoles Abi Nasr, the head of the Industrialists Gathering, and included an evaluation of the performance of the former board and its achievements.  Abi Nasr invited industrialists in the region to prepare a white paper for discussion with the Minister of the Industry, Freij Sabonijian, as well as with the President of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) Nehme Efram, during their upcoming meeting planned for December 11th.
Source: Al-Diyar 3 December 2013

The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis La7ood, promised that 2014 will witness the marketing of Lebanese olive oil across the world in coordination with the Lebanese diaspora.  This announcement was made as Mr. Hobeika was heading the Lebanese delegation to the meeting of the general assembly of the international council for olive oil and which was recently held in Madrid. La7ood presented the plan of his Ministry for marketing Lebanese olive oil and shared details about the Ministry’s planned projects in this area.

Within the same vein, La7ood visited the Spanish Minuistry of Agriculture last Friday to discuss possible collaboration between Lebanon and Spain. The two parties agreed to set up a joint Agriculture committee from the two countries to operationalise cooperation in the field of agricultural extension as well as to increase wine exports from Lebanon to Spain.  To be noted that during the Lebanese senor official’s visit to Spain, a meeting was organised and brought together Lebanese winemaker and Spanish buyers.

Source: Al-Diyar 30 November 2013