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In cooperation with Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched yesterday the Agricultural Cooperative Association of Forest Tree Producers of Lebanon under the sponsorship of minister Akram Shehayeb and presence of a group of concerned figures. During the launch event, the president of the above association, Maroon Aziz, underlined the importance of the undertaking which mobilizes nine well-known nurseries from different regions across Lebanon. The association, funded by USAID and implemented by the United States Forest Service, serves to improve the quality of native forest seedlings with the help of competent international institutions, Aziz maintained. He lauded efforts exerted by the Association to contribute to the sustainability of the sprouts after their planting in the planned locations and to lowering the cost of production of seedlings and reforestation works. He stressed that cooperation among the involved nurseries has resulted in the production of more than 40 tons of native trees and over 500 thousand different forest plants every year. For his part, Shehayeb pointed out that the Association is considered a key partner of his ministry in restoring a reasonable rate of greenery to Lebanon, and therefore, a basic partner in the 40 million tree project. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 28, 2016)

 

Following the appeal of the agriculture specialist, Bilal Zoghbi, in the name of potato growers in Beqaa, emergency assistance, (c.f:  http://bit.ly/2a1og2t), Al Mustaqbal newspaper highlighted in its edition of today, the continuing economic distress of potato growers in Rashayya and Central Beqaa, while interviewing a number of farmers, who reiterated their call for government’s support to this sector, that is considered the pillar of agriculture in the area. The president of potato growers in Beqaa, George Saqr, grieved the persisting difficulties in marketing the production, with the additional cost of maritime export, notwithstanding the limited official backing in subsidizing maritime transport . Saqr clarified that while the level of local market consumption is acceptable, selling prices do not match the cost of production. He called on concerned official bodies to rescue thousands of households whose livelihoods depend on this trade. Najeeb Fares, a Beqaa farmer and owner of an agriculture project in the town of Lucy, maintained that potato cultivators have suffered a major setback due to the low price of the crop, (LBP 300 per one kg while cost exceeds LBP 450). Fares acknowledged that the domestic market cannot absorb the whole local production, while also noting that Arab Gulf countries are flooded with supply of potatoes. Fares called on the government to seek to new outlets, particularly since farmers are presently burdened with financial debts that have accumulated over the years. In conclusion his brother, also a potato farmer, ironically compared the price of a chewing gum (LBP 500) to the price of one kg of potato (LBP 300) that feeds an entire family. (Al Mustaqbal, July 28, 2016)

 

Reacting to the initial deafening silence of the Lebanese trade unions regarding the recent decree lowering the minimum daily wage (full news: : http://lkdg.org/ar/node/15441) , Al Akhbar newspaper wrote yesterday that the above decree laid bare the workers unions and syndicates allegedly boasting to represent the working classes, amongst them, the Independent Trade Union, the Teachers’ trade union and the National Federation of Trade Unions of Lebanon, and Al- Wafaa trade union. These groups, the newspaper noted, have expressed their rejection in individual and weak statements. In this regard, the Independent Trade Union issued on July 20 an invitation to participate in the National Day of proportional representation, in which it affirmed that the decision to cut the minimum daily wage was not a good presage, calling on the Minister of Labor, Sej3aan Azzi, and the Lebanese government to revoke it. As such, the trade union of teachers, expressed during a visit to Azzi on June22, its rejection of the decree as well as its justification, while questioning the silence of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL). For its part, the National Federation of Trade Unions of Lebanon, issued a statement yesterday, in which it described the cut as a clear attack on workers and a violation of international agreements rights. On the subject, the vice president of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL), Hassan Fakih, told Al Akhbar that the CGTL was not a party in this matter, and said: “daily workers should have acted in the first place and we could have supported them.” He went even further by defending the above measure when he considered it as a “simple procedural matter and a legal and logical adaptation to some extent,” while generally reiterating its opposition to daily worker contractual relations. The Syndicate of Employees and Workers of Restaurants and Hotels in Lebanon, which embraces a large number of daily laborers, expressed reservations over commenting on the decree at the present time, noting that the syndicate president was abroad and did not study enough this matter. Likewise, the director general of CGTL, Saad el Din Hamidi Sakr, dismissed the issue, while talking to Al Markaziya electronic portal, while stressing that Lebanese workers are "going through the worst times amidst an ailing economy and stagnation, adding that “the present situation was exasperated by fierce competition in the labor market from Asian and Syrian workforce.”. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, July 26 and 27, 2016)

 

Tourism ministry sources have disclosed to Al Markaziya online portal yesterday an upsurge in the number of summer festivities, reaching some 100 international and local events, including, the Baalbaq festival which commemorates its 60th anniversary, and others emerging, like the Minyara and Rashaya fiestas. Almost all the Lebanese towns and villages are competing in organizing similar events like never before in the history of the country, the sources said, while adding that these cultural events lighted up the nights of Lebanon with a turnout of thousands of locals, Arabs, emigrants and foreigners thus supporting the ailing local economy. To this effect, the streets of Baalbaq in the Beqaa for example, were vibrant and busting with crowds of people, nearly 3 thousand persons who attended the opening ceremony of the Baalbek International Festival. According to the same sources, and notwithstanding the receding number of Arab Gulf visitors mainly for political considerations, Pharaon developed a Plan B to boost rural tourism and to popularize the’ guesthouse culture’. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 27, 2016)

 

 

Following the announcement by the Bank of Lebanon Governor, Riyad Salameh, that the Lebanese migrant communities is the main pillar of the national economy (nearly 16% of the GDP), a new study on remittances of workers in Arab countries released by the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), has shown a decline in the rate of transfers into Lebanon during the past two years, which poses a threat to income and purchasing powers of households. The remittances of emigrants during 2015, according to the study, dropped to USD 7.3 billion (by 3.3%) in that year compared to USD 7.5 billion in 2014, a year which also posted a regression of 8.4%. Meanwhile, the Institute of International Finance figures have indicated that the overall private capital remittances of non-residents into the country are not expected to exceed USD 5 billion in 2016, (11.6% fall against the previous year). The UAB survey has also revealed a close and positive correlation between remittances on the one hand, inflation and the imports on the other, since such transfers are basically used for consumption purposes, particularly in the purchase of imported goods (causing an upsurge in the rate of imports). On the credibility of above estimates, the head of Bank Audi Research Section, Marwan Barakat, told Al Akhbar newspaper that he cannot confirm them for lack of precise figures. However, he did indicate that overall transfers have actually dropped by 25% during last year but then again increased by 14% during the first quarter of 2016. Central Bank sources, on their part, confirmed the bad news pointing to the decline in financial inflows during the first half of the present year. (The Daily Star, Al Akhbar, July 26, 27, 2016)

 

The semi-annual survey of 2016 prepared by “Numbeo” World Database on the cost of living has shown that Beirut came 181 among 372 global cities and 4th among 18 Arab targeted cities. The results of the study, published in Bank Byblos weekly newsletter, have classified Beirut as the second most expensive among some 76 middle to high income cities. Numbeo institution has conducted an assessment study of the cost of living in every city based on the consumer price index (a relative index of prices of consumer goods, including grocery stores, restaurants, transport and public utilities) in addition to the price of rent index. Both indices are based on those of  New York City for comparison purpose. According to above study, the Lebanese capital added around 62.65 points on consumer price index, which indicates that consumer goods in Beirut are 37.35% less than those in NYC. On the rent price index, Beirut ranked 66th globally, 3rd among middle to high income cities and 4th among Arab states, gaining a total of 40.56 points. This is indicative that the cost of rent of an apartment in Beirut is less by 59.44% than that in NYC. (An Nahar, July 26, 2016)

 

As Safir newspaper pointed out today that the financial and economic sectors in the country are all experiencing unprecedented decline which are undermining economic growth. In its monitoring of the above industries, the newspaper mentioned that the rates of growth of deposits and assets in the banking sector have registered falls respective by 33.6% and 0.5% against the same period of last year. The same is true about industrial and agricultural exports which have respectively dropped by USD 150 million (14%), and by USD 8 million to USD 88 million during the first half of the present year. The most significant index, As Safir indicated, is in the drastic increase in the deficit of the balance of payments which posted a record figure of nearly USD 1761 million against USD 525 million during the same period of 2015. Tourism, on the other hand, recorded a slight growth of 5.2% as seen in the movement of air traffic to Lebanon, where the majority of visitors are Lebanese emigrants who come to spend the holidays in their country. This decline, As Safir concluded, is unprecedented noting that the country has never fallen to that level even in the darkest period of its previous wars and political crisis. (As Safir, July 25, 2016)

 

In its first move, and under the slogan ‘Together for the formation of the Lebanese Committee for Food Safety’, the Legal Agenda, Consumer Protection Society, Farah Al 3ata2 and Wa7hdatuna Khalasuna associations held a sit-in yesterday in front of the Grand Serail during the meeting of the Cabinet. At the start of the protest, attended by some 262 civil groups under the umbrella of the Civil Alliance for Food Safety, the security forces prevented demonstrators from blocking the way of the ministers’ cars. This led to the closure of the road and change in the course of the convoy. Later, the Alliance handed the council of ministers general director a copy of the judicial report which contains the results of laboratory tests of flour samples. The results, it should be noted, have indicated the presence of 2050 defects in every 50 grams, which is inconsistent with the internationally-approved specifications. During the sit-in, Zuheir Berro, head of the Consumer Society, warned that the situation has reached an unprecedented level in corruption, mentioning the pollution of the Litani river and the Qar3un lake, added to the garbage and mills of Lebanon corruption files. Berro pledged to keep to the streets every time the Cabinet convenes until after the government fulfills its obligations. 

As for the latest in the government’s food safety campaign, health ministry inspectors shut down yesterday a number of commercial institutions and shops in Saida, Kfarmilki, Dhur Chweir, Zahleh, Aley, Nabatiyeh, Khirbit Silm, Dikwaneh, Furn al Chebak, Burj al Barajneh and the Airport Road. For the names of the closed establishments, kindly visit the following link: http://www.almustaqbal.com/v4/Article.aspx?Type=NP&ArticleID=711064  (Al Akhbar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, July 22, 2016)

 

As part of the first centenary of the Beirut Hippodrome under the title ‘a park of all colors’, the governor of Beirut, Ziad Shbeeb inaugurated yesterday the food fair, “Flavor lounge” (Salon des Saveurs) http://www.salon-des-saveurs.com, which will extend from 20 to 23 July 2016, from 6 pm until 11 pm, in the presence of a number of foreign ambassadors and dignitaries. On the occasion, Judge Shbeeb stressed the significance of the exhibition which showcases the Lebanese cuisine that has earned an international repute, while hosting cookeries of various world nations. Shbeeb quoted the famous Lebanese novelist Amin Maaluf who compared the globe to a “titanic kitchen in which millions of meals are being prepared by millions of people across the world to be served to families and households.” He pointed out that no industry or business boasts this nature of continuity, expansion and inclusiveness. Cooking and food serving, Shbeeb noted, bring people together, “particularly when strangers of different ethnicities and races sit at one table to enjoy the chipping in of bread and salt, thus transcending all external barriers and differences.” (Al Mustaqbal, July 22, 2016)