News updates

The 4th Arab MDGs report for 2013 entitled “Facing challenges and Post 2015 Development Agenda”, notes that the gains made at the level of reducing poverty in some Arab countries have been reversed as a result of political transformations in the region as well as continued conflicts which have exacerbated the vicious circle of poverty, unemployment and hunger.  The report notes that the Arab region lags behind in achieving the MDGs by 9.6% whilst clarifying that advances in the achievement of the MDGs was not even amongst countries of the region or even within individual countries.
The report emphasizes the rise in unemployment rate with the region scoring the lowest participation in labor force worldwide essentially as a result of the poor participation of women (26% in the Arab world against a world average of 51% for 2010).  Poverty, slow advances in rural development, the exacerbation of armed conflicts, discrimination in the law as well as the widespread conservative traditions such as early marriage are all factors that have blocked women's participation in the public sphere and namely in the job market.  The region has nevertheless been able to make headways in bridging the gender gap in education although women's representation in parliaments remains way below the rest of the world.
To be noted that this report includes an evaluation of achievements made across the Arab region and also addresses progress in implementation made since the adoption of the MDGs in 1990 and until the year where the most recent statistics are available, it also includes a vision for drafting post-2015 development plans that are to be adopted by Arab governments.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 24 September 2013

Afaaq organised last week in collaboration with the Cultural and Social Association in Bekaa and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung a workshop in Daher el Ahmar/Rashayya on the revival of the middle class in Lebanon.  The workshop began by a review of the major milestones of economic policy in Lebanon whilst underscoring the important role of civil society in creating incentives for the production sectors in Lebanon and in transforming the overall economic vision in the country from consumption to productiveness and effectiveness.  The workshop called for strengthening the middle class through identifying and addressing weaknesses and gaps.
The Resident Director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Achim Vogt,, noted in his keynote address that Lebanon is facing many challenges especially with the disappearing middle class through the migration of the educated youth.  He called on the state and its institutions to assume a leading role in eliminating corruption, strengthening the economy and encouraging the reemergence of the role of the middle class.  The president of Afaaq, Mr, Ahmed Thabet, noted that the middle class is shrinking and its members are joining the ranks of the poor in the absence of social safety nets, absence of the state in setting control and accountability mechanisms, and in tackling several areas of weaknesses in the foundations of the Lebanese economy.
For his part, the editorial director of the economy section at the As Safir newspaper Adnan Alhajj highlighted the absence of comprehensive social, fiscal and economic macro policies which has exacerbated social and livelihoods problems.  He also highlighted the lack of any true policy orientation in the drawing of national budgets which resulted in policies based on disarticulated projects and in exacerbating social cleavages.  He also dwelt on the absent role of the Ministry of Labor in creating work opportunities for the youth and in decreasing unemployment, adding that Lebanon needs 30 to 35 thousand new jobs every year whereas the private sector only generated 4000 jobs.  He concluded that the state can only bring down the cost of debt through privatization, the rescheduling of debts, and increasing the revenues of the national treasury.  According to Alhajj, the most important issue for workers remains the availability of social benefits, and the differences in the pensions system between the private and public sector and even within the public sector.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Safir 23 September 2013

The Development and Welfare Forum Association organised in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli and the North and the Municipality of Halba, the first employment fair in Akkar.  The event was held last week end with the participation of numerous businesses and companies of the North and Akkar and a high turnover of visitors amongst job seeking youth.  The event was organised despite the general feeling of insecurity in that area, and amidst worsening economic conditions which have resulted in a high unemployment rate in Akkar of 35% and in some 65% of the local population living in poverty.

Some 16 exhibiting companies participated in the fair in addition to local committees and associations involved in development projects in Akkar.  The event scored some 600 visitors, most of whom were young people who completed application forms and submitted their CVs. According to the president of the Development and Welfare Forum Association Mr.Zeid Hamzeh, the event constitute a bridge between employers and prospective job seeking university graduates as proven by the fact that 250 job applications were accepted He also noted that requests were made for 30 employment posts for Gulf countries, a similar number for Africa and another 40 for the local job market in Akkar.  The general secretary of the Federation of CCIA in Lebanon, and the head of the Tripoli Chamber of Commerce Toufic Dabbousi praised the efforts extended by the organisers, adding that the fair can provide opportunities for hundreds of university graduates from private and public universities, encourage investments in agriculture, food processing as well as in other economic sectors that are important for Akkar and the North, and noting that the 2 regions enjoy a large supply of labor and of well educated workers.  He, furthermore, called for the elaboration of plans that will aim at improving local economies, studying local markets and developing training programmes that will upgrade local skills and knowledge.  He concluded by adding that the Chamber will always remain at the service of the people of Akkar and the North.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Mustaqbal 23 September 2013

The National Association for Vocational Training and Social Services (NAVTSS) launched last week its newest project entitled ”The Voice of Youth” located in Ain el Helweh  which aims to empower Palestinian youth through vocational training, psychological counseling  and achieving economic independence.  According to the project coordinator, Haytham Abdo, the Voice of Youth will seek to raise community awareness on the conditions and realities of the youth population in Ain el Helweh in order to help them secure employment while targeting young people who dropped out of schools.  The project will provide vocational training to some 75 young people (50 girls and 25 boys) over a one year period as well as counseling and guidance services to equip young people with those skills that will enable them to become competitive in the job market, improve their employability chances and enable them to start up their own businesses while providing psychological support to more than 200 young women and men and their families.
The project will also select 20 young women and men who will prove to be distinguished in their vocational training, who will receive some tools to start their business. They will also benefit from a start your own business training that will be delivered by a specialised organisation.  Others will also have access to training workshops enabling them to find jobs, and that will be implemented in collaboration with organisations such as the ILO, UNRWA and others.
Source: Al-Safir 23 September 2013

Agricultural exports increased by 14% during the first half of 2013 with fruits and vegetable export reaching around 177 thousand tons, whilst citrus exports ranked at the top with 50 thousand tons, (i.e. 28% of the total export), vegetables came at the bottom with 38 thousand tons, (i.e. less than 6%). For their part, apple exports fell second with 40 thousand tons followed by banana (30 thousand tons), grapes (3 thousand tons) and potatoes export (33 thousand tons). Olive oil exports have also increased, since the start of the programme, reaching 1000 tons during the reviewed period, 55% of which were exported to North America (including Canada).
This information was released by the director general of Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Nabil Itani, during a field visit to the Beqaa, where he also reiterated that the aim of the institution was not only to improve quality but also to open new markets, an objective achieved since the start up of the new Agri Plus project some two years ago.  
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Diyar 20 September 2013

The food processing industry recoded great achievements in recent years, because of its ability to meet the demand of local markets, as well as make headway in several regional and international markets, thus setting the example for other industries in Lebanon. The president of the Federation of CCIA in Lebanon, Mr. Mohammad Shucair stressed, during a conference held yesterday in Saida, the importance of these achievements, adding that support to agriculture leads to the development of most of the other related sectors, and also pointing out to the fact that no prosperous sector can survive without the needed infrastructure and a favorable investment climate. He indicated that the agriculture sector greatly contributes to the offsetting of the trade deficit and the creation of new job opportunities both vital for the Lebanese economy.
Furthermore, the Lebanese food processing industry comes at the top in terms of generated added value, an in the second place in terms of investments, and this according to, Munir Al-Bsat, the vice president of the Syndicate of Lebanese Food Industrialists.
Shucair’s statement came during a conference organized by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Saida and the South, to formally launch an exhibition entitled  “Encouraging innovation in food processing” an held at he exhibition centre of the chamber in Saida. The conference included several workshops, in which experts addressed the issue of innovation in the food processing industry. For his part, the president of the CCIA of Saida and the south, Mohammad Saleh, reemphasized the importance of innovation and creativity and their role in fighting unemployment and securing the autonomy of Lebanese industry, calling upon the government to adopt policies that support the knowledge based economy.
It is to be noted that the exhibition opens for the public today with the participation of more than 50 food processing enterprises and rural cooperative from Saida and the south, and is organized in collaboration with IDAL, the Federation of CCIA in Lebanon, and the EU. The exhibition will remain open from September 19th to 23rd and this from 4:00 to 10:00 PM.
Source: Al-Safir 19 September 2013

The Lebanese Parliament, in collaboration with the UNDP launched, on the occasion of the international democracy day, two studies the first entitled “role of the Parliament in strengthening youth’s participation in political parties and parliamentarian elections” and the second entitled “Role of Parliament in Creating Work Opportunities for Lebanese Youth”.
The studies came as a result of a series of workshops organised by the parliamentary commission for youth and sports during the months of June and July 2013 with the participation of heads and members of youth organisations, as civil society organisations and representative of the youth branches of various political parties.
The president of the Parliamentary Commission for Youth and Sports, Simone Abi Ramia spoke during the commemoration event about the need to strengthen the employment and job market and invited parliamentarians to overcome current political differences and start working hand in hand in order to economically protect the youth and strengthen the employment market with a number of legislations.  He also emphasised the importance of reforming the constitutional decree establishing the national employment office so as to enable it to become the main regulator of the job market and to protect Lebanese labour.
Abi Ramia indicated that the role of parliament in mainstreaming young people in political life is key and includes the enactment of a new electoral law that can truly reflect popular will and that of the youth as well as the development of a new law to regulate political party and so as to encourage diversity.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir 18 September 2013

To review the previous workshops held by the Parliamentary Commission for Youth and Sports:
“Towards a parliamentary road map to create job opportunities for young men and women”, Published on the WEEPortal, on 19/7/2013
“The role of Parliament in employment of young women and men in Lebanon”, published on the WEEPortal on 5/6/2013
 

As Safir newspaper published a report last week about the soaring unemployment rate in Lebanon despite the absence of accurate statistics from the Ministry of Labor.  The report noted that unemployment continues to increase with clear signs that companies are generally laying off their Lebanese employees, while in some sectors companies are now only employing foreign displaced workers.  The Minister of Labour Selim Jreissati told As Safir that a large number of companies are undertaking illegal lay offs mostly in labour intensive activities, construction, glass factories, vehicle repair workshops, restaurants and cafes where employers prefer to hire foreign workers to Lebanese in view of their low salaries and this particularly the Bekaa.
Jreissati added that his Ministry has deployed an investigation commission assigned to the ministerial committee mandated with the issue of the displaced in order to monitor what is going on.  He reiterated that his ministry will hold employers accountable in case of irregularities and will impose strict financial penalties in addition to withdrawing their licenses.  For its part, Ghassan Ghosn, head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL), noted that displaced people have the rights to be cared for by the international community through its international institutions, particularly so since Lebanon does not have the capacity to support them.  He added that the government needs to regulate displacement not only at the economic level but also in terms of the security situation which has now reached dangerous levels and that is harmful to the displaced population as well.
The report further noted, according to Ghosn, that Lebanon needs to create annually 25000 new employment opportunities for young people and graduates.  However, Ghosn stated that only 5 to 6000 jobs are available every year.  As a result, he explained, Jreissati issued a law in February 2013 which ring-fence many jobs so that they become only available to Lebanese nationals such as in the fields of administration, accounting, brokerage, insurance, architecture, jewelry making as well as free professions and this unless a foreign worker is able to secure a work permit from the relevant authorities. To be noted that although this law gives employment priorities to Lebanese, however, it still allow Palestinians born in Lebanon and registered at the Ministry of Interior to carry out some of these jobs.
In the same vein, Syrian workers are also partially dispensed from the restrictions in a number of professions namely tile work, plastering, woodwork, electrical installations, painting, commercial representatives, tailoring, warehouse managers as well as guards in addition to car repairs, and upholstering.
Source: Al-Safir 17 September 2013