The health committee at the Baalbaq municipality and the Islamic Health Association jointly distributed certificates of appreciation to food establishments that complied with international food safety specifications as part of the food safety campaign launched by the Ministry of Public Health. The celebration was held under the sponsorship of the city’s mayor, Hamad Hassan and in the presence of owners of eateries and food enterprises, in addition to health and economic stakeholders. Commending such move, Baalbaq Municipality member, Antoine Aluf, said this shall “enhance the performance of food catering institutions”. Likewise, Hassan praised the cooperation between the involved parties which contributed to the above campaign’s success. The Islamic health association President, Malek Hamzeh, for his part, pledged to continue work in order to realize more positive results, calling on similar institutions to follow in footsteps. )Al Diyar, May 21, 2016)

 

Lebanon ranked 115 among 218 world countries and 14 among 20 Arab states in terms of commodity export value in the year 2015, as published by the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD). The total value of Lebanese exports stood at US Dollar 4 billion in 2015, recording a fall by 12.5% from USD 4.6 in 2014, and 29.4% from a peak of USD 5.7 billion in 2011. On the other hand, and according to UNCTAD figures, Lebanon ranked 77 globally and 12 in the Arab world in terms of imports. Likewise, the total value of Lebanese imports amounted to USD 18.4 billion down by 12.8% from USD 21.1 billion in 2014 and 16.3% from a peak of USD 22 billion in 2013. Based on the above figures, one can conclude that the overall deficit in the trade balance of Lebanon has reached USD 15 billion in 2015, while the coverage of imports by exports was as low as 21.7%. (Al Mustaqbal, May 19, 2016)

 

 

Significant contradiction in the figures was revealed by the results of two surveys on the aspirations of the Lebanese, which raise serious questions about their usefulness. In this context, Byblos Bank Groups published and in cooperation with Suleiman Al Oleyan School of Business at the American University of Beirut, the Consumer Confidence Index in Lebanon CCI results for the first quarter of 2016. The results showed a slight improvement by 5.7% in January against a 1.3% and 10% decline in February and March, 2016, recording the biggest monthly degeneration rate since September 2015. According to the CCI report, the monthly index reached nearly 35.9% in the first quarter of 2016, registering a 2.6% fall from 36.9 points in the fourth quarter of the year 2015. The deterioration was reflected in responses of Lebanese consumers who were targeted in the survey. While 77.3% of respondents considered their financial status to be worse than it was in the past six months, some 19.2% said it remained the same against 3.5% who maintained that their fiscal conditions have relatively improved, while 71% expect their financial conditions to deteriorate. Results also indicated that females possessed a higher confidence as compared to males, and that students recorded a higher confidence against private sector employees, self-employed professionals, housewives, state employees and jobless persons. 

Meanwhile, a new survey conducted by Bayt.com recruitment portal in coordination with YouGov Group for Market Research and Public Consultation on the salaries in the MENA region in the first quarter of 2016, has shown the following results: 56% of the Lebanese believe their salaries are below the average in their sector against 52% who anticipated an increase in their salaries by the end of 2016. Regarding the rise in the cost of living in Lebanon, 46% of the Lebanese confirmed a raise in the rent of houses, 67%  in food prices, and 42% in the price of services. This, they maintained, has led to a weakness in their savings ability. About 43% of respondents said they had zero savings from their salaries. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, Al Hayat, May 17, 2016)

 

ESCWA released a new report entitled: Strategic Review of Food and Nutrition Security in Lebanon, in which it warns that Lebanese and displaced populations residing in Lebanon, face the problem of the absence of food security.  The report notes that Lebanon should speed up the process of drafting a national food security strategy to face this issue, adding that 49% of the Lebanese are worried about their ability to secure sufficient food whereas 13% said that they have not had health food over the past year.  According to the main results of the report, Lebanon imports 80% of its alimentary needs which makes it vulnerable to prices fluctuation and increases the level of debt.  The report further noted that despite the availability of fertile land and cheap labour, the contribution of agriculture to the GDP has fallen to 4% only.  

(Al Akhbar 13 May 2016)

 

The Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET) disclosed yesterday that it has suspended trading in 19 kinds of dairy products and five of cheeses for failing to comply with health standards. The announcement published on the ministry’s website did not contain a list of the involved establishments which was leaked through the media. However, L’Orient Le Jour newspaper talked to the ministry’s advisor, Jassem Ajaka, who confirmed the leak contents were true. The banned brands, Ajaka pointed out, were infested with bacteria in addition to an unacceptable amount of preservatives or prohibited ingredients. For her part, the Daily Star published the complete list of the violating companies: Labneh brands: 1-Al Habash Institution-Saida, 2-Dairy Fresh-Saida, 3-Jabal Amel-Zaita-Saida, 4-Al Yaman-Saida, 5-Al Akhdar-Adousieh-Saida, 6-Milkana-Dhour al Sarafand- Saida, 7-Marj Al Khiyam- Marjeyoun, 8-Tilal Al Marj-Chwaya-Hasbaya, 9-Sharaf al Baladi-Hasbaya, 10-Khayrat Atroun-Bint Jbeil, 11-Ajban Dweihi-Zgharta-the North, 12-Al Bayeh-Zgharta-the North, 13-Al Shaml-Zgharta-the North, 14-Dairy Day-Kfarshima-Baabda, 15-Hawa Dairy-Safra-Kesrouan, 16-Al Laqlouq-Jbeil, 17-Al Chawaf-Baalbek-Hermel, 18-company in Nabatiyeh whose name was not clear on the list,19- a company missing from the list.  The cheese brands included: 1-Habsh Factory- Saida, 2-Al Majzoub Factory-Saida, 3-Al Akhdar Factory-Adousiyeh-Saida, 4-Ajban Wa Alban Al Rafi’i-Tripoli, and 5- Alban Wa Ajban Ajaj-Al Abdeh. (L’Orient Le Jour, the Daily Star, May 12, 2016)

 

In collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), Al Safadi Foundation held a ceremony yesterday at its Agricultural Center in Deir Dloum, Akkar where it distributed certificates to participants who completed training workshops on best agricultural practices in potato and green leafy vegetables growing and ways to enhance marketing. The beneficiaries included some 60 farmers members in the following coops, the Cooperative Association for Agricultural Development in Sahl Al Romoul, the Agricultural Coop for Potato Farmers, Halba Agricultural Coop for Agricultural Development and the Agricultural Coop for Rural Development in Majdala. The event comes as part of the ILO funded initiative implemented by the Safadi Foundation in the area, in cooperation with the Lebanon Agriculture Research Institute (LARI), entitled ‘Support Basic Value Chain Development Interventions Related to Good Agricultural Practices for Potato and Leafy Green Vegetables-2016’. (As Safir, Al Diyar, May 12, 2016)

 

The president of La Regie Libanaise Des Tabacs & Tombacs, engineer Nassif Siklawi, stated that the Regie aims to go global through its adoption of a sustainable development strategy similar to its international tobacco counterparts. Siklawi was speaking during a ceremony held on Labor Day which coincided with the 80th anniversary of the state-run establishment, in the presence of administration members, staff union and workers. Reiterating the commitment to continue serving the national economy, Siklawi disclosed the second phase of the plan which he said shall focus on five basic pillars: firstly, excellence in performance through the application of quality management standards in all the administrative, industrial, sales and procurement departments, with the aim to facilitate work and reduce production cost and expenditures. Secondly, the Regie will seek to develop local communities through supporting development projects in cooperation with the municipalities. Thirdly, it will focus on “consumer welfare” by providing high quality, “healthy and safe” products. Finally the institution will aim to respect human rights, by combatting child labor, and securing a productive work environment, and to implement environmental protection measures in order to reduce industrial pollutants, rationalize energy consumption and waste management, etc...

Al Diyar, May 11, 2016

 

Following the call by the President of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fady Gemayel, for the government to extend the period of the LBP 21 billion advance as endorsed by the government to support maritime export of Lebanese products to Arab countries through IDAL, the President  of the latter, Nabil Itani, called on the cabinet to extend the process for an additional year as land export remains blocked and Lebanese exports are still facing similar challenges.  Itani announced yesterday that approval of the Cabinet, during its last meeting of a decision to continue subsidizing maritime exports of Lebanese products until 31st of March 2017.  In a related vein, the Minister of Agriculture, Akram Shehayeb, met yesterday with a delegation of importers and exporters of fruits and greens and discussed problems facing exports and the need to address these.  The delegation discussed the issue of taxation on Lebanese products in Iraqi Kurdistan and Sudan.  Shehayeb reiterated that he will undertake the necessary contacts with authorities in Sudan and will also meet the Sudanese ambassador to discuss this matter.  He also affirmed that contacts are underway with authorities in Erbil for the same purpose.  The delegation who met with the Minister of Agriculture also called for necessary measures to protect Lebanon's fruit produce from exported fruits.  Shehayeb promised to enforce a pre-approved license for importing fruits according to the Lebanon's fruit harvesting calendar. (Al-Diyar May 10 2016)

 

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The current Minister of Labor navigates the various employment fairs organised by Universities in Lebanon where he predicts doom and loom in unemployment while linking it simplistically the presence of foreigners in the country.  Recently, the Minister inaugurated the employment fair organised by AUST and noted that Lebanon is going through an unprecedented unemployment crisis as a result of the situation of Lebanon and the attempts to destabilise the state's infrastructure, in addition to Lebanon's 72 billion USD debt, the repercussions of the Syrian war and the presence of Palestinian and Lebanese refugees.  Azzi added that whilst Lebanon's population is less than 4 million, Lebanon hosts 1.7 million Syrians and half a million Palestinian refugees in addition to other foreign nationalities.  According to Azzi, when 53% of the population are non-Lebanese, then this will undoubtedly create an unemployment crisis.  Azzi concluded by saying that "350000 young people graduate every year at a time when the job market produces only 4000 jobs annually thus leaving 30000 young people without jobs".  To be noted that the said event included the participation of 120 companies from the tourism, industrial, banking. media, ICT, design, insurance and marketing sectors.  (Al-Diyar May 10 2016)

 

 

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