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In collaboration with the Syndicate of Owners of Hotels in Lebanon, the municipality of Bshareh organized yesterday and for the first time a training session for owners and employees of hostels in Bshareh and Al Arz in the North. The 2-day workshop, managed by TIME Less ltd company, came as part of the Promotion and Development of Entrepreneurs and Creation of Small and Medium Enterprises Program implemented by UNIDO in cooperation with and the Arab Regional Center for Entrepreneurship and Investment Training (ARCEIT). The course centered mainly on the development of hospitality skills within the framework of applied topics in public administration of the hotelier industry, with special emphasis on customer services and enhancement of the level of services. Time Less director, Hala Muradi, spoke in the first day of the events about techniques of improving sales and ways of dealing with customers over the phone, as they usually are the pass for interacting with them. Muradi then demonstrated methods of handling complaints and turning them into solutions. (Al Diyar, August 4, 2016)

 

Following data issued by Weekly Bulletin of "Byblos Bank" that indicated a rise in the trade deficit to $7.57 billion during the first half of this year, attributing this rise to the increase in imports bill by about $612 million, which reached $9.39 billion and the fall in exports by $234 million to $1.82 billion, the president of the Lebanese Industrialists Association, Fadi Gemayel, confirmed yesterday the cumulative decline in exports by nearly 30% (equivalent to USD one billion). Gemayel also pointed out to new complications in exporting to Syria due to new Syrian procedures in handling made-in-Lebanon goods which now require a prior license. Lebanese. And while admitting the importance of the Syrian markets to Lebanese industrialists, Gemayel said he hoped the “standoff needs to be resolved in the framework of cooperation and integration” between the two countries. “We do not want to flood the Syrian markets with Lebanese merchandise, yet, we do not like to see the Syrian goods swamping our markets”. It is to be noted that Agriculture Minister, Akram Shehayeb, issued on 9th of June a decree banning the import of vegetables and fruits from Syria until next February, in order to protect local productions and markets (c.f.  http://bit.ly/2aBemBE). (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 3, 2016)

 

Clearly the marketing of local production has become a big burden on the Lebanese farmers. On this subject, Al Mustaqbal newspaper highlighted the role of the fig season in the villages of Arqoob, namely in Kfarhamam, Halta, Mari, Habariyeh and Rashayya al Fukhar. With the start of the season around mid-July, the paper wrote, every household is packed with fresh or dried figs or fig jam, preserves and varius delicacies, and for this reason people celebrate what they call the “fig ritual” around that period of the year. Al Mustaqbal spoke with Imm Karam Atiyeh, who, while boastful of her land’s generous supplies of figs and which she tends to dry, lamented the low selling prices of the product. “Enough is enough,” she grieved, “maybe it is the trouble of exporting that makes things worse.” Another farmer, Abdel Hamid, told the newspaper’s reporter that a large community of the towns and villages of Arqoob rely on proceeds from their fig production. But, he stated, “they need the support of the concerned agricultural authorities in the development of their cultivation techniques and the creation of new outlets to market their produce.” On the other hand, Abu Ahmad, optimistic as he seemed, pointed out that fig farming is revived every year, especially with the reasonable prices and acceptable domestic consumption. “One kilogram of fresh figs varies from LBP 2 thousand to 3 thousand.” Most farmers, he added, prefer to dry the figs and sell them as a dried product. One pound, he said, “is normally sold at LBP 30 thousand, and besides, the dried figs can last from year to year and can be used in the making of preserves and jams. Either way, it remains profitable.” (Al Mustaqbal, August 3, 2016)

 

Previous related news: 

 

Potato growers in Central Beqaa, Rashayya demand new external markets

http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/potato-growers-central-beqaa-rashayya-demand-new-external-markets

 

Beekeeping in Dennyeh on the decline amidst official neglect

http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/beekeeping-dennyeh-decline-amidst-official-neglect

 

A rescue plan for apple growing comprising the setting up of a disaster solidarity fund

http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/rescue-plan-apple-growing-comprising-setting-disaster-solidarity-fund

 

In its edition of July 30, Al Akhbar daily unmasked the grief of Bayt Faks beekeepers, a town famed for honey production throughout the North and Lebanon. Situated in the caza of Dennyeh, the village of Bayt Faks used to produce not less than 40 tons of honey every year, but has since two years seen a decline by 80% thus threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of local households. For more insight on the subject, Al Akhbar spoke to Hussein Awada, deputy secretary general of the Arab Beekeepers Union, and former president of the Cooperative of Bayt Faks Beekeepers. Awada mentioned a number of factors, notably the following: climate change; human-induced contraction of flower and tree landscapes required for their nectar in attracting pollinating bees; the death of a large number of queen bees in Dennyeh and other areas across the country due to frost storms; use of mostly counterfeit or fake pesticides to control bee diseases; border closure and finally, fall in exports. Awada also noted that the waning production has not positively impacted the price of honey, where it remained unchanged, (USD 20-30). The reason, he said, is mainly because domestic production normally exceeds local consumption needs. Criticizing the government represented by the agriculture ministry, Awada said it repeatedly failed in backing the sector or in compensating beekeepers for accruing losses. Most of Bayt Faks inhabitants, he maintained, depend on beekeeping and therefore on the production and trading in honey or on jobs supported  by the industry. (Al Akhbar, July 30, 2016)

 

Following the marketing difficulties resulting from the closure of the Syrian borders, local apple growers from all across Lebanon, held a solidarity meeting on July 29 called for by the municipality of Aqoora, Byblos. Participating in the gathering were representatives of the agriculture ministry and some 40 mayors of villages and towns that are facing production difficulties particularly as a result of this year’s blizzard storms that destroyed nearly 70% of their production. On the occasion, Aqoora mayor, Mansur Wehbeh pointed out that the once prosperous apple cultivation which is the main source of livelihood for around 300 thousand Lebanese farmers, has started to fall off 20 years back due to accumulating problems in export, manufacture and high cost. Similarly, the vice-chair of the Federation of Byblos Municipalities, Assad Hashem, outlined a 3-phase salvage plan which includes the following: On the medium term, the government will be responsible for the creation of new marketing outlets; on the short term, foreign aid and international organizations are asked to buy the apple production ant to distribute it to displaced Syrians in Lebanon and Jordan, and finally, on the long term, the founding of an association representing the private and public sectors as well as state institutions. This body, projected to include all the apple-producing municipalities, will assume the task of development and export and will, in cooperation with the ministries of social affairs and agriculture, as well as the Higher Relief Commission, start a solidarity fund to address natural disasters. For her part, Silvana Girjis from the agriculture ministry stated that her ministry has a similar insurance program against natural disasters but this is still awaiting endorsement of the Parliament. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 30, 2016)

 

 

Previous related news: 

Apple growers in Bsharri forced to sell their lands because of the depressed market

Apple growers complain and grieve a losing season

 

In its edition of today, L’Orient Le Jour daily portrayed the traditional hummus industry in Lebanon noting that despite its international fame, it is still largely dependent on the outside. In this respect, Lebanon has, between 2012 and 2014, imported around 14,000 tons of chickpea crops, and exported nearly 80% of the finished hummus product to foreign markets amidst a limited domestic demand. Citing the latest agriculture ministry data, the newspaper pointed out that Lebanon has only produced 3,500 tons of chickpeas crops in 2011. This is mainly due to the high cost of production, as explained by head of the Crops and Vegetables Section at the Agricultural Scientific Research Department, Rabi’ Kabalan. The newspaper went on to say that the price of chickpea in the Lebanese market, is 1.5 dollars per kilo, and that yearly local consumption is estimated at 1,500 tons per year, i.e. a total value of $ 2.2 million. And to shed more light on the subject, L’Orient Le Jour interviewed a number of marketing representative of Lebanese establishments in the hummus industry, who agreed that the bulk of the crops are imported from the United States, Mexico and Canada. They also indicated that the present price of one ton of chickpeas has soared to USD 2000 up from USD 1300-1700 last year. One of them, however, grieved that while Europe and the Arab Gulf countries still import made-in-Lebanon hummus, the US has in the past five years have shifted towards imports from Jordan. Other countries, like Kuwait and Dubai, have also embarked on the production of hummus. (L’Orient Le Jour, August 1, 2016)

 

A study by the Pan Arab recruitment portal, Bayt.Com has revealed that nearly 63% of fresh university graduates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face difficulties in finding their first job, with 30% describing the task as extremely arduous. According to the survey, conducted in cooperation with the long established Market Research Organization, 59% of Lebanese respondents maintained that the biggest challenge blocking the way to a successful professional journey is blamed on employers who mostly opt for appointing skilled candidates. Moreover, while 34% of those interviewed have admitted a lack of knowledge of job surfing methods, 25% confirmed that now they will seek jobs outside their professional expertise, and 11% said they will search for any opportunity, regardless of the sector. When asked about the key factors or criteria they consider when choosing a certain job, 53% of Lebanese graduates mentioned that first they follow their passion. Other factors included career promotion (10%), international job opportunities (8%), and working at a prestigious company (8%). On salary expectations, while only a few of the respondents (5%) stated that they have no predetermined notion of the salary they should expect for their first job, the majority of the respondents (60%) said they expect between USD750 and USD 2000 on average. It should be noted, that the assessment study targeted some 4247 young men and women who graduated during the past three years in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. (L’Orient Le Jour, Al Mustaqbal, July 27 and 31, 2016)

 

The recent figures released by the “Union of Arab Banks” and the “Institute of International Finance” which have shown a decline in the rate of remittances into the country during the past two years and which were confirmed by the Bank of Lebanon governor (for the first half of the present fiscal year) (full news: http://bit.ly/2aOLpm4), have put on alert the local banking sector. In this respect, and after Marwan Barakat from Bank Audi, refused to comment for lack of precision in numbers, the head of the financial and economic research department at Bank Byblos, Nassib Ghobril, underlined in a statement that the crucial capital for the banking industry is the trust of its investors, depositors and Lebanese emigrants. He maintained that the rigorous figures issued by the Central Bank, and which represent the only official records, have revealed an increase in the remittances of migrant Lebanese in 2015, (by 4%) reaching USD 7 billion and 500 million. The figure, Ghobril explained, is relatively high, equivalent to 15% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and in fact one of the highest globally, close to USD 1600 for every Lebanese resident. Ghobril made clear that “the Bank of Lebanon  has not yet posted the data for the size of transferals in 2016, noting that these figures could stay constant on the 2015 rate or shift up or down.” On the other hand, he explained, “should remittances fall during 2016, by 10% on average, let’s say, there remains around USD 6 billion and 750 million, which still is considered high and able to invigorate domestic consumption.” Ghobril also referred to the upsurge in the size of bank deposits to nearly USD 154 billion. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 28, 2016)

 

 

After he supported the reduction of the minimum daily wage by LBP 4,000 thus affecting a large proportion of daily Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian laborers mainly involved in low-skilled labour (http://lkdg.org/ar/node/15441), the labor minister Saj3an Azzi called yesterday for a raise of the minimum wage to LBP 1,200,000 instead of LBP 675,000 when the economic conditions are ripe. He recalled the disastrous level of unemployment (nearly 25%) which he blamed, as usual, on Syrian refugees. Azzi, who was speaking during the opening of the First Normal Session of the Central Council of the International Federation of Arab Trade Unions, said the “Lebanese citizen cannot survive on USD 400 per month only”. The present minimum wage, as he claimed, “inspires more corruption, bribery, commissioning, poverty, terrorism and violence.” And to improve the minimum wage, Azzi concluded, requires the presence of a strong state.” In return to the recent decree lowering the daily minimum wage, the General Confederation of Professional Workers in Lebanon declared in a statement yesterday that “the decision, interpreted as a correction of a former calculation error, negatively impacts the livelihoods of daily contractual workers who do not have any health or social insurance.” “Receiving a LBP 4 thousand  cumulated  over a period of three years or more,” the statement went on, “has become an acquired right that can never be relinquished,” and warned to take the necessary measures to correct the situation. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, July 29, 2016)

 

 

Within the framework of the broad EuroMed initiative, the ministry of economy and trade launched yesterday the illustrative guide on the rules of origin in the presence of a delegation of countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) which includes four European countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, and led by Hans Shlumann and a group of concerned parties. Alya Abbas, director general of the MoET pointed out that the launch comes as part of the training activities organized by the ministry to introduce international agreements aimed at liberalizing trade exchange and explain their working mechanisms to all involved officials and employees, students, academics, farmers, producers and traders. Abbas considered the rules concerning the country of origin as one of the basic foundations for any arrangement to this effect. She clarified that putting into effect any agreement that supports customs exemptions remains incomplete if the producer is not adequately informed about the rules of origin and how they work so that his product can benefit from preferential treatment. Abbas also stressed that the illustrative guide does not have any legal inference. For his part, Shlumann maintained the importance of the guide and the role of Lebanon in a period where everyone is preparing for freeing up trade. (Al Mustaqbal, July 29 2016)