Other news

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, held yesterday a meeting to discuss ways to promote rural tourism and prepare for the projected summer festivals and events. The meeting was held in the presence of the respective directors general of the Agriculture and Tourism Ministries, Louis Lahhud and Nada Sarduk, President of the Syndicate of Owners of Tourism and Travel Agencies, Jean Abood, representative for the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Bulos Aris, as well as representatives for the ministries of Culture, the Interior and Environment, beside Civil Society organisations. Discussions centered on the national strategy for rural tourism and achievements realized so far and on ways to expand its implementation in various areas in the country. The main points agreed were the following: developing agricultural products and guesthouses, completion of touristic maps and calendars of events for the regions, producing  marketing programs and brochures, as well as identifying needs and accordingly writing proposals to be submitted to relevant donor organizations. Pharaon noted a fad by the Lebanese to discover their towns and villages and by tourists who like to devote a day in remote rural areas. He pointed out to some 50 or more touristic endeavors, each of costing some USD25 thousand that may be financed by ministries concerned. The meeting closed with the launching of the new website devoted to the promotion of guesthouses. Participants also agreed to hold another meeting between rural tourism establishments and the Syndicate for Owners of Travel Agencies in order to further discuss the marketing of the strategy. (Al Mustaqbal, As Safir, Al Diyar, January 13, 2016)

 

Lebanon officially has taken part in the ‘Festa Del Mare’ or festival of the sea in Sicily, Italy, through a live presentation by famous chef, Charbel Abu Samra, which was aired directly on local TV channels. Lebanon’s participation came after the country’s earlier participation at Expo Milano, in June 2015 which resulted in cooperation agreements with many countries, regions and cities, including Sicily. Lebanon is expected to continue this cooperation through the European initiative entitled, “ItineraMed of the taste”, a project to be implemented in 6 Mediterranean countries and which will bring together 5 Lebanese cities, namely Beirut, Tyre, Deir Al Qamar, Baalbek and Ehden with 5 cities from Albania, Serbia, Egypt, Malta and Italy with the aim of fostering cooperation in tourism and culture among these countries. The project will also seek to create a unified international trademark for tourist business, particularly restaurants and hotels that will have it prominent place within the global tourism map. Collaboration areas will expand at a later stage so as to include the implementation of specific construction projects and the twinning of Lebanese and Italian cities. (Al Akhbar January 13, 2016)

 

A delegation from the Syndicate of Owners of Food Industries led by Ahmad Hoteit met last Saturday with the Speaker of House Nabih Berri and presented him with a plan to develop the sector. The delegation which comprised Syndicate members Ramez Abu Nader, Munir Bsat, Raja Cortas, George Nasrawi, Adnan Ataya and Abdel Hadi Sh7hadeh, discussed with Berri pending issues with the public sector, notably the following: the reactivation of the protocol between the Syndicate and the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) and the resolving of differences with the Finance Ministry. This, Syndicate representatives explained, will require the upgrading and amendment of certain current legislations as well as the development of laws that will facilitate the performance of this productive sector. For his part, Berri expressed readiness to resolve obstacles and promised to follow the subject with ministries concerned. (As Safir, Al Diyar, January 12, 2016)

 

In its issue of last Saturday, As Safir daily revealed that the first year of the alternative maritime export plan only brought farmers and merchants: further decline in agricultural exports, a buildup of financial losses, and stockpiling of production. According to the Syndicate of Exporters and Importers of Vegetables and Fruits in Lebanon, the fall in exports during 2015 exceeded 30% as compared to the year 2014. 

As Safir pointed out that while exports of Lebanese potato found their ways via Ro-Ro vessels, it only did so at unprecedented high costs. The remaining varieties of agricultural products namely fruits and vegetables experienced what exporters described as the “the ordeal of the long journey”, which lasted sometimes between 9 to 25 travel days. The lengthy trip, they grieved, was enough to ruin tons of shipped products which were thrown out in into the sea. Meanwhile, agricultural goods that arrived safe and largely unspoiled could not beat the competition and therefore were sold at very low prices in order to cut down on financial losses.

For more insight on the subject, the newspaper spoke to the President of the Syndicate, Naim Khalil, who maintained that the cost incurred on the Lebanese exporter per each sea shipment amounted to a net of USD2500, after deducting the value of the government subsidy according to the alternative export plan. Likewise, agriculture engineer, Jalal George Toom, explained that difficulties encountered were not only associated with the assigned sea lines and arrival schedules, but had much to do with the stringent handling facilities in Lebanese and Arab sea ports, particularly Jordanian ports. He went on to say that custom and handling fees were higher in value that those of exported products. In figures term, the newspaper pointed out that the total value of one potato shipment container of some 30 tons and of a minimum price of USD350 per ton, equaled some USD10500 for the entire shipment, while additional fees cost inside the Jordanian markets exceeded USD20 thousand for the same container. Accordingly, the cost price of one kilogram of potato amounts to nearly LBP1000, whereas the price of one kilogram in Jordan was LBP750, resulting in a loss of LBP250 per each Kg. (As Safir, January 9, 2016

 

Last Friday, Agriculture Minister, Akram Shehayeb discussed with European Union’s Ambassodor, Kristina Lassen, various ways of supporting projects implemented by the Ministry and of increasing cooperation with the EU particularly in exporting made-in-Lebanon agricultural products, namely apples, potatoes, honey, olive oil and wine. Furthermore, the two parties discussed the possibility of reviving the so far successful ‘Rural and Agricultural Development Initiative’ as well as EU-continued support to the ’40 million trees’ project, while stressing the importance of a speedy submission of all project proposals to the EU, particularly with preparations underway for a general conference on this matter. (Diyyar, January 9, 2016)

 

The BLOM Bank’s Business Monitor International noted that the economic decline in the activity of the private sector has slowed reaching the lowest decline level during the last three months while recoding 47.9 points which brings it closer to the 50.0 points benchmark which indicates a balance situation between growth and decline. Furthermore, the seasonal index update has shown a consistent deterioration of commercial activity in the private sector throughout December 2015. It indicated a continuous fall in the rate of production during the last month of 2015, which was strong but the less steeper since last August.  According to companies targeted in the monthly survey, the major factor which contributed to the continuous fall in productive remains the current instability and the uncertainty surrounding the political situation in the country.

Furthermore, the report indicated that levels of demand remained modest during last December and was accompanied with the continued decline in new business activity. December 2015 also witnessed a drop in the flow of new external business activity and that is for the fifth consecutive month. Regarding the labor market performance, the BMI report pointed out that the declining economic conditions have resulted in low employment levels for the third month in December. While remaining somewhat modest the decline in the total number of employment in the private sector was the worst since August 2014. 

Concluding on the above facts, the Director General of the "BLOM Invest Bank", Fadi Osseiran, said the slower decline in the levels of production forecasted for 2016 is the fruit of the improved political climate recoded during December which raises hopes of a breakthrough in the presidential crisis. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Hayat, As Safir, January 8, 2016)

 

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli and the North, represented by its President, Tawfic Dabbussi, inked yesterday a memorandum of understanding with the Mercy Corps director of the Lebanon Office, regional programs consultant, George Antun. The MoU comes as part of the 6-month project, ‘Production’, which is financially supported by the British Department for International Development. The MoU aims at organizing training sessions to upgrade practical skills in the labor market. Accordingly, the new project will target some 400 members of the workforce; will provide support to viable small and medium enterprises through the provision of specialized technical assistance and specific in-kind donations; connecting SMEs to other support institutions; and finally will build up the capacities and enhance the effectiveness and performance of the solid waste management and recycling industry sector.

Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, January 8, 2016

 

As part of a strategy to challenge the exclusion of people with special needs from community, the Open Minds and Include associations have jointly carried out training activities within the slogan: ‘The Year 2016, a Beginning for the Inclusion of People with Special Needs in Lebanon’.  The workshops, organized in partnership with Scouts Lebanon and Women Guides Lebanon, aimed at the rehabilitation of the scouts cadres to receive young men and women with special needs/disabilities in preparation for their integration with society. For that reason, some 100 male and female cadres from the above Scouts and Guides Lebanon associations completed workshops under the supervision of the integration officer at the French Ministry of Education in Toulouse, Jean Philippe Lacaze and the former member of the General Commissioner for Scouts, ‘Include’ member, Fadi Asmar. Training was held end of last year in monasteries in Deir Sayidit El Bir, Bsalim and Beit Anya and Harisa and Saint Joseph University in Beirut. The ultimate goal of the above initiative is to integrate around 200 young men and women with special needs in both Scouts Lebanon and Women Guides Lebanon Associations. This number is expected to gradually increase so as to address the needs of people with special needs who currently account for 10% of Lebanon’s populatio according to official data. (An Nahar, January 5, 2016)

 

In its issue of December 31, 2015, An Nahar daily described last year as the worst financially and economically while relating this situation to a number of negative factors, mainly the economic status quo, legislative and governmental paralysis and the far-reaching effects of the war in neighboring Syria particularly the ensuing refugee crisis. An Nahar went on to say that forecasts for economic growth for 2015 ranged between 1 and 1.5%. However, the actual result will not exceed 1% at best, with an inflation rate equivalent to 0%. On the other hand, the newspaper reported that the banking sector remained intact and resilient despite the harsh overall national context.

Within the same vein, Al Mustaqbal daily noted in its issue of today, that the fall in growth rates was not limited to one sector, but affected various sectors of national economy, including trade, industry, tourism, construction, agriculture and services, with trade and tourism being the hardest affected. The newspaper went on to say that after some breakthroughs in tourism during the first half of 2015, the second half was disappointing in view of the waste management crisis that triggered street demonstrations and civil protests which in turn negatively impacted the image of the country domestically and externally. Consequently, trade and the domestic economy at large missed on the business opportunity of annual holidaying, thus making the year 2015 the worst in recent records. According to Al Mustaqbal, the rate of unemployment has now exceeded 25% generally, and 35% among the youth, while the total number of the impoverished people between 2011 and 2012 has exceeded the one million mark. (An Nahar, December 31, 2015, Al Mustaqbal, January 4, 2016)

 

After its opening of the Beqaa and South branches, the Christian non-governmental organization for employment, Labora, inaugurated a new center in the Batroon under the patronage of the Maronite Bishopric in Australia and in collaboration with the Batroun Archdiocese. The launching of the new center comes as part of a joint plan aiming to serve and enable the Christian youth to steadfast in their homeland and to provide them with employment opportunities. The plan also seeks to help the young generation make better use of public facilities and services in order to better participate in shaping the future of their country. (Al Diyar, December 31, 2015)