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On the World Day Against Child Labor which falls on June 12 of each year, As Safir daily published a feature, with special emphasis on the provisions of the labor law which, despite Lebanon’s ratification of the international convention banning the work of children under 15 years, still excludes agricultural jobs and housework. Outlining the commendable efforts exerted by local and global organizations fighting child labor, As Safir highlighted the fate of Syrian children working in the Bekaa and Akkar regions. While children under 10 years make nearly 60% of agricultural workers, the newspaper wrote, no one in their direct environ seem disturbed by their early and arduous labor. Some believe it is an old habit deep-rooted in Syria and among the Arab Gypsies of Lebanon, the newspaper went on to say, pointing out to the physical, economic, social and psychological harms inflicted to children as a result. As Safir concluded by saying that the efforts of international organizations remain insufficient, particularly with the determination of the parents of those children to exploit the whole family in order to alleviate the dreadful economic conditions and the meagre allocations given them in the form of aid. It should be noted, that the wage of each child does not exceed LBP 5 thousand or sometimes one box of veggies. (As Safir, June 13, 2016)

 

The decision by agriculture minister on Wednesday to ban the entry to Lebanon ‎until next February of trucks loaded with Syrian fruits and vegetables has ‎prompted conflicting reactions from both Lebanon and Syria. The Syrian minister ‎of economy, Human Jazairi, described the decision by his Lebanese counterpart ‎Akram Shehayeb as “sudden and untimely aimed to harm the Syrian harvest and ‎the Lebanese traders.” Jazairi reminded Lebanon of the international trade ‎exchange provisions that, he stressed, are continually and traditionally associated ‎with a timeline prior to the actual implementation, in order to guarantee the ‎commercial parties on both sides and avoid complications related to export, import ‎and payment procedures. Jazairi also drew attention to damages incurred on ‎Lebanese merchants and trade circles as a result of the inopportune and swift ‎decision by their government. Such decision in its present form, the Syrian ‎minister warned, entails unjustified financial burdens on both sides and has ‎negative repercussions on the interests of two old neighboring countries. Jazairi ‎recalled that early this year, Syria has received a delegation of Lebanese exporters ‎and famers to discuss difficulties in the marketing of Lebanese bananas, and that ‎the Syrian government has exempted them from customs duties as an encouraging ‎and supportive gesture. On the other hand, while the President of the Bekaa ‎farmers, Ibrahim Tarshishi, praised the “positive and correct” decision by ‎Shehayeb, while the president of the Lebanese Farmers Association, Antoine ‎Howayek, said the double-edged ban decision negatively impacts the local ‎farmers, for it benefits some products and harms others. Similarly, the head of the ‎National Gathering for Agricultural Committees in Lebanon, Jihad Balouk, ‎criticized Chehayeb’s unilateral measure describing it as flawed in form and ‎content. (As Safir, An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, June 10, 2016)‎

 

The Minister of Industry, Hussein Haj Hassan, the Minister of Energy and Water ‎Resources, Arthur Nazarian and the General Director of the Industrial Research ‎Institute (IRI), Bassam Faran, inaugurated last Tuesday the new integrated solar ‎power project at the IRI premises, as part of the European Union FOSTER in ‎MED program. The launched project, Faran explained, seeks to promote the ‎adoption of solar photovoltaic technologies in Mediterranean countries and has a ‎multi-phased strategic approach in partnership with the private sector. It ensures a ‎multiplier effect on the Mediterranean basin level, in terms of census results, ‎publishing and mainstreaming their benefits and expanding them beyond the ‎scope of partnership. Similarly, Nazarian disclosed in his intervention that the IRI ‎is currently completing the second phase of the solar power plant. The latter, he ‎pointed out, is a vital innovation aimed at realizing self-sufficiency in terms of ‎generating energy for individual use through exploiting the sustainable and ‎renewable energy modes. Also, Minister Haj Hassan underlined the efficacy of ‎dependence on water, air or solar energy to ensure a reduction of the consumption ‎bill expended by the government and by the productive, industrial, agricultural, ‎health and household sectors. “In a first reading of the results,” the minister said, ‎‎“and given the estimated annual state oil bill (USD 7 billion), if we achieved the ‎desired ratio of 12%, targeted by the government through the increasing reliance ‎on alternative energy, we could save around USD 500 million a year,” he added. ‎‎(Al Diyar, As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, June 8, 2016)‎

 

The Arab Open University (AOU) organized yesterday its first ‘Higher Education and Labor Market’ conference under the patronage of labor minister Sajaan Azzi and the presence of the general director of the National Employment Office (NEO), Jean Abi Daher, former minister Khaled Kabbani and a number of public figures. Kabbani pointed out in his intervention that the global economy aided with the development of technology, has rapidly shifted into the so-called the economy of knowledge. Consequently, Kabbani expounded, this places greater responsibility on the various universities to improve their curricula and methods of teaching to better prepare their students in the lookout for jobs after graduation amidst a fierce competition in the employment world. Abi Fadel for his part stressed that the domestic labor market cannot accommodate one fourth of graduates every year, particularly that the a large proportion of the degrees they hold are not needed by employers. “We need to study the requirements of the labor market and develop relevant legislation that help attract investments, modernize the national educational system and develop small and medium enterprises,” Abi Fadel maintained. Meanwhile, LABORA president, Father Toni Khadra, said that while 70% of state jobs are vacant, the rate of successful applicants who sit for civil service board exams does not exceed 25%. Khadra noted that against the nearly 40 thousand students graduating annually from the different higher education institutions, only 9 thousand find jobs in the country or abroad. Similarly, AUB professor Dr Maamari, stressed the need for setting an inclusive national strategy that creates uniform standards for quality assurance and surveys the domestic and Arab labor market. Finally, AOU president Fairuz Farah Sarkis presented a study conducted by the university about the extent of satisfaction of employers in the alumni of the universities in Lebanon, and which indicated that the skills of graduates are run-of-the-mill generally. (Al Mustaqbal, June 9, 2016)

 

The minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs, Nabil De Freij, and the ambassador of the EU in Lebanon, Christina Lassen, launched yesterday 13 new projects submitted by several non-civil society organisations operating in the country for funding from EU-designed Afkar III program. The announcement of winning organisations was accompanied with a presentation which portrayed the progress and initiatives funded by the above program in its (Euro 10 million) third phase. It also outlined the conditions required to secure the European grants (which will cover close to 80% of the value of each project). On the occasion, De Freij, revealed that 73 undertakings participated in the transparent tender according to the European standards of assessment and selection. A specialized team assumed the selection with the participation of European observers, De Freij noted, adding that such projects cover as well remote rural areas. The third phase of AFKAR, the minister explained, aims to promote socio-economic development and reform, with focus on building the capacities of the civil society and inspiring partnerships between its constituents. Below are a selection of the winning projects:

-  A project submitted by LPHU to strengthen the role of tourism through the adoption of inclusive eco-tourism and supporting policies.

- Another submitted by the Lebanese Association for Rural Development seeks through its project to assess the needs and build the capacities of civil society organizations and cooperatives to achieve the needed socio-economic development in Akkar, north of Lebanon. This will be realized through the "strengthening the institutionalization of 65 community organizations by training and building partnerships with donors and the private sector.

- A Makhzoomi Foundation project which aim to promote social and economic development through the empowerment of civil society and motivating sustainable development in the Beqaa.

- Finally, a Family Planning Association project that seeks to promote the socio-economic conditions of women in marginalized areas in the south. (Al Diyar, June 8, 2016) 

 

The USAID-funded Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development Program (LIVCD) and the Lebanese Association for Training, Education and Development (Delta) launched last Saturday the rural tourism strategy in the Mount Lebanon area of Aley under the patronage of tourism minister Michel Pharaon and the presence of the agriculture minister Akram Shehayeb. Attended by a crowd of public figures, the event was held at the premises of the Association for Forests Development and Conversation (AFDC) in Ramleyeh, Aley. On the occasion, the CEO of the Aley Development Gathering, Rami Salman, expressed hope that eco-tourism will give new perspectives for development and contribute to the steadfastness of local communities through the motivation of the economic cycle and the provision of jobs for young people. And while AFDC president, Wissam Abu Ghanem, underlined the urgency of said strategy for the revival of the local Aley economy, Delta representative, Ihab Nassr, pledged to work closely with concerned municipalities and provide the required training support. For his part, minister Pharaon  made clear that the rural tourism project is expected to increase the eco-tourism share of the overall size of conventional tourism (normally 5-6%) to reach nearly 20%, and placed great importance to such undertaking. He called on his colleague ministers to make a tour of the country to feel the richness of existing natural resources and advise on approaches to turn them into useful touristic development projects. “We used to rely on Arab tourists who visited Aley in the past, now we have to be creative and develop new forms of tourism,” he said. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 8, 2016)

 

While most Lebanese economic experts agree that the economy is in dire condition as a result of regional instability and other associated risks, the World Bank (WB) has shown a slight growth in the rate of real economy at 1.8% in 2016 compared to 1.5% in 2015 and anticipated a 2.3% rise next year and another 2.5% in 2018. The WB report published last week entitled ‘A Geo-Economy of Risks and Rewards’ traced the anticipated growth to a gradual recovery in the tourism sector, while noting that the socio-economic model of Lebanon is now broke. Lebanon’s large dependence on foreign remittances from its diaspora to finance internal and external imbalances, exposes the country to economic and political conditions beyond its control, the report said. Moreover, the report went on to say, the primary cause of threat to economy is the possible expulsion of Lebanese workers from Arab Gulf countries. While it made clear that Lebanon has benefited from the fall in the global prices of fuel and the consequent decrease in government subsidies to the Electricity of Lebanon Company during 2015, however, the country’s public finance system did not improve. The WB also indicated a drop of 5.4% in 2015 in foreign currency reserves at Bank of Lebanon due to slow foreign capital inflows. The anticipated future economic growth remains weak amidst political turmoil locally and in the region as a result of the Syrian war, the report revealed, warning of additional drop in the remittances of Lebanese expatriates from the Gulf which is expected to witness a decline in financial reserves and a contraction in expenditure due to falling oil prices. In conclusion, the World Bank report offered one long term solution which resides in industry and technology sectors taking the lead towards recovery. 

In the same vein, economic expert, Ghazi Wazni told An Nahar newspaper that the national economy is still standing despite stagnation. This, he said, is mainly attributed to the security situation which is still under control; high level of financial transfers from expatriates and the banking sector which continues to generate acceptable growth rates. Wazni however, did not hide his fears of a decline in the majority of economic indexes in 2016, anticipating a growth by less than 1% because of continuing damages to themain economic sectors. For his part economist, Elie Ya7shushsi raised the alarm on the state of the economy and called fro urgent government measures.

For the full World Bank report please check: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/06/26412099/lebanon-economic-monitor-geo-economy-risks-reward

 

Al Diyar daily portrayed in its issue of June 4, 2016, the difference between SOLIDERE luxurious realm and ‘Abu Rakhoosa’ modest bazaar which was reborn in Beirut down town following the civil protests which began last August in the heart of ritzy Beirut commercial district. One of the founders of the 15-member Abu Rakhoosa board, Hassan Hamzeh, recounted the successes and challenges faced by the said impromptu popular market in its move to reclaim the seized rights of the people in the capital’s downtown area. Its aim, he said, is to allow low-scale venders flocking from all over the country to showcase and sell their reasonably priced products to middle and low income categories under the slogan, ‘Beirut is the immortal right of Lebanese people’. Hamzeh disclosed to the newspaper that Abu Rakhoosa will reopen for one day, on Sunday, June 4, 2016, from 3pm to 12 am, and will host all kinds of artisan products, handicrafts and provisions. He maintained that due to the growing number of guests every time, the souk is in need of regulation in order to smoothly accommodate as much sellers as possible. The popular market, Hamzeh told Al Diyar, is organized on a monthly basis and has a permit from Beirut Governor, Ziad Shbeeb. The target, he revealed, is to become a weekly event, but that still is awaiting the approval of the municipality. Al Diyar, on the other hand, reported that the fate of Abu Rakhoosa which has moved to the Martyrs Square from Riad Al Solh Square is threatened by a planned new real estate project, Solidere 2019, to be located in the heart of Martyr’s Square, and which will host numerous restaurants and a huge underground parking. (Al Diyar, June 4, 2016)

 

Fair Trade Lebanon celebrated yesterday the World Fair Trade Day for the fifth consecutive year at St George Monastery in Roomieh, east of Beirut under the slogan, ’10 Years of Commitment’. The event was held under the patronage of Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon and in the presence of Acting US Ambassador Richard Jones and some 1200 friends of the association. Around 22  cooperatives and small and medium enterprises partook in the Sustainable Opportunities for Fair Trade Activities in Rural Areas (SOFAIR) funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative MEPI, and implemented in collaboration with Atayeb al Rif Coop. The ceremony included an exhibition of organic products made by the Fair Trade affiliated cooperatives, with a unique contribution from Sofil Catering group that beautifully displayed culinary items prepared by Fair Trade Lebanon associations. On the occasion, Fadi Samaha, representing minister Pharaon, stressed the significant role such venues play in promoting and reviving the heritage of remote Lebanese areas. The tourism ministry, Samaha said, attaches great importance to these sorts of events on, especially on the agricultural, development, and even the touristic levels. He recalled the new strategy launched recently by the ministry to motivate rural tourism and encourage the steadfastness and interaction of the locals with the riches of their countryside. (Al - Diyar June 6, 2016)