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Bassil: all trade roads open between Lebanon and Syria

16-7-2018

The president of the Free Patriotic Movement, foreign minister in the caretaker government, Jibran Bassil, said that all roads between his country and Syria, Iraq and Jordan will reopen and Lebanon will breathe again through these land arteries, stressing that political life between Syria and Lebanon will be restored as well. Bassil was speaking on July 13 where he represented President Michel Aoun during the Lebanese Arak Day and International Day of Tasting organized by the ministry of agriculture, in cooperation with the municipality of Zahle-Maalaqa-Taanayel and the Lebanese National Energy Association. During the event held at the Zahle Municipal Park, Bassil pointed out that the interest in Lebanese arak does not take much toil compared to the marketing of domestic wine, as the latter is an accomplished Lebanese product while arak is a heritage commodity of Lebanon produced to resonate its authentic qualities. The foreign ministry through the Directorate of Economic Affairs and through diplomatic missions and embassies, seeks to market agri food goods, specifically the traditional mooneh items in foreign outlets, Bassil maintained, disclosing that a key task of the new economic attaches is promoting made-in-Lebanon products in international markets. He stated that he will charge the Lebanese missions abroad to campaign for the national arak in order to increase the size of production, concluding by saying that the development of agriculture is requisite for Lebanon’s persistence. (Al Diyar, July 14, 2018)

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Unemployment in Lebanon exceeds 35% with poor prospects of improvement

13-7-2018

The economic expert professor Jasim Ajaqa disclosed that unemployment in Lebanon exceeds 35%, pointing that out of 30 thousand graduates each year, only 3 thousand work in their field of study. Ajaqa told An Nahar newspaper that the published unemployment estimates are not accurate, sustaining that the World Bank and the IMF do not give the real figures, which remain according to their expectations at the threshold of 6%. The reason for that is the lack of a scientific and tangible definition for unemployment, like for example, the person who works one or two hours daily and receives money is counted on the Lebanese workforce, according to WB standards, while in reality he is on the dole, Ajaqa explained. What exacerbates the gravity of such figures, Ajaqa noted, is a joint study released recently by the labor ministry, the Social Security Fund and Kodorat Association which uncovered that unemployment has exceeded 36% and is soaring to 46% in Akkar, Baalbaq and Hermel, and to 42% among the 18-24 age group. Ajaqa also mentioned the considerable size of the foreign labor force in the country, especially in the absence of declaration by owners of institutions about the number of their non-Lebanese staff. Moreover, he added, the euphoric expectations around the Cedar donor conference which gave priority to infrastructure projects, might not have a stake for Lebanon’s youth, firstly because many Lebanese might not work in these undertakings, and secondly, because young graduates are over qualified to take these jobs. Unemployment here has reached dangerous levels, be it disguised or visible, Ajaqa warned, concluding, “what an economic catastrophe for a nation that has no future for its young generation or at least, for a nation whose youth is jobless”. (An Nahar, July 6, 2018)

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Eco-friendly bags in Jbeil

13-7-2018

As part of efforts to protect the environment against plastic pollution, The municipality of Jbeil Byblos launched on Wednesday a new initiative to replace plastic bags with eco-friendly ones by end of the year. It urged commercial establishments and shops to start using bags that are made of biodegradable material or recyclable fabric. This initiative is first of a kind for it constitutes a serious and binding communique issued by a municipality to concerned institutions, while noting that the memo includes not only single use plastic bags consumed by the supermarkets and retail outlets but also ready for packing and food delivery bags and packages. On the campaign, the mayor of Jbeil, Wissam Zaarour, told Al Modon electronic portal that the decision comes in the framework of the municipality’s vision to reduce the risks of plastic waste and its catastrophic effect on human health and the environment. The city of Jbeil lies by the sea, he said, and the plastic bags need some 30 years to decompose in water, besides their adverse impact on health, fish resources and marine life. (AL Akhbar, Al Modon, July 13, 2018)

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Home farming in Beqaa to avoid problems of contaminated water

12-7-2018

The high rate of contamination in irrigation water in Beqaa has driven many households to develop and expand their own veggies and fruits subsistence agriculture, Al Mustaqbal reported. The domestic gardening in the area is an ancient thing, the newspaper wrote, where Beqaa residents await the spring and summer seasons to prepare their fields close to their modest homestead. Real agricultural workshops are kicked off with the aim to produce the domestic need from vegetables. And these depend on clean sources for irrigation, normally from surplus drinking water collected and stored in tanks or extracted from artesian wells. The good quality of the produce comes from the use of natural fertilizers, primarily the compost, which is prepared by burying and fermenting residues of crops, vegetables and fruits or tree leaves to support the growth of plants. To note, fruit trees and all varieties of vegetables are among the most home cultivated crops in the area. As for the economic feasibility of home vegetable gardening, it is zero. Besides, the farmer sometimes bears material losses, Al Mustaqbal said citing local growers. For example, the price of one kg of cucumber sold at the vegetable store does not exceed LBP 1,000, while growing and producing the same amount at home requires a month and a half of tilling, planting, care and irrigation, which makes the cost of one kg tenfold the price of the same product found at stores. (Al Mustaqbal, July 12, 2018)

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Soap recycling at Hamud Hospital, Saida

12-7-2018

The Hamud University Hospital in Saida kicked off its first soap recycling initiative in Lebanon, the Econ Soap, at the city’s Soap Museum. The project which is part of ‘Your Health is in Your Hands’ campaign launched by Hamud Hospital to encourage students on proper hand washing, aims to recycle discarded bars of soap from some 29 hotels in Beirut. Part of the recycled soap will be used in the above campaign while the rest will be sold at low price only to cover the cost for those who cannot afford it, as said project coordinator, Layal Rinno. To recall, the project is implemented in cooperation with the Eco Soap Bank and other partners. On the method of recycling, Mario Ghrayib, director of the Sustainable Agriculture and Environment Program at Arcenciel, said it starts with collecting the used soap slivers, drying them and then grating and sterilizing them. Later, a chosen fragrance is blended in the soap which is pressed in molds and left to dry. Later they are wrapped and packaged in recycled used paper. The leftover soap, Ghrayib maintained, is collected from hotels twice every month. He stressed the two main goals of the undertaking which are: reduction of waste and raising awareness among hotels and people on the importance of recycling. (Al Akhbar, July 12, 2018)

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BLOMINVEST: High unemployment in Lebanon prompted by Syrian refugees

11-7-2018

Nahar newspaper published on Monday a study prepared by BLOMINVEST on the impact of Syrian refugees on the Lebanese labor market which focused on the key features of the national labor market pre and post Syrian conflict. According to the study, the Lebanese economy and the region’s economies were booming before the crisis (between 2007 and 2010) where unemployment in Lebanon was at its lowest. However, the survey noticed, the situation changed after war erupted in Syria in 2011, where the rate of unemployment soared as a result of the spillover of displaced Syrians who began to compete on jobs available for Lebanese nationals in the market. Joblessness increased after 2011 to reach 20%. Citing the report, An Nahar pointed out that the active Syrian labor force in Lebanon stood roughly at 384,000 persons according to the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017-2022. This figure has pushed some 270,000 Lebanese workers out of work, said Marwan Mikhail, head of research at BLOMInvest Bank. Regarding salaries, the study showed that the average monthly wage of an employed Syrian refugee was LBP 418,000 (USD 278), while that of a Lebanese worker stood at LBP 900,000 (USD 600), noting that the work permits for Syrians averaged USD 200, that is lower than fees enforced on workers from other nationalities. Mikhael maintained that these factors keep competition tough and unfair. In conclusion, the study urged the Lebanese government to attach importance to the principle of equal opportunity between Syrian and foreign workers in the country on the one hand, and the Lebanese workers on the other, at all times and across all economic sectors. (An Nahar, July 9, 2018)

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A promising wheat season in the Beqaa despite some skepticism

11-7-2018

The chief of Lebanese millers and wheat farmers in Beqaa, Najib Fares, described the current season in the Central and West Beqaa and Rashaya as promising, and called on wholesale merchants and large scale farmers to not shake the trust between farmers and the government. He warned of the presence of mafias who seek to soft sell a scheme that strikes a blow against the sector through requesting financial compensations for three years due to alleged damage that hit the harvest in 2015 with the intention to trade the cultivation with alternative crops. Fares maintained that the government continues to prop the wheat agriculture and to collect the supplies at profitable prices, noting the vitality of the sector to hundreds of Beqaa growers and to Lebanon’s demand for this basic crop. He reminded that the Beqaa produces annually about 45,000 tons of wheat grown over 80 thousand acres of land. Fares unveiled that one acre in the above regions produces between 500 and 600 kgs and yields acceptable profits. On the other hand, one wheat farmer, Ayman Sumaili lamented an unpredictable drop in hay prices, saying that one qantar (250 kgs) is currently sold at LBP 45,000 compared to LBP 75,000 last year, attributing this to a flow of imported hay and fodder from abroad, specifically from Turkey and Syria.  Meanwhile, Al Mustabal newspaper reported that crop growers have started preparing the wheat supplies for the government to collect, while the hay produce will be sold to cattle and sheep farmers in Lebanon due to the closure of ports of export to some Arab states and Jordan. (Mustaqbal, July 10, 2018)
 

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Commerce and Industry in Lebanon not performing well!

10-7-2018

In a special feature on factories in Lebanon, Al Akhbar said the waning Lebanese industry is currently facing multiple problems because of government slackness and failure to take immediate protective measures to remedy the situation. While it mentioned the closure of nearly 388 registered factories in the period between 2012 and 2016, namely the only steel manufacturing plant in Salaata which closed as a result of foreign competition and lack of official support, Al Akhbar predicted an imminent shutdown of some 23 factories across the country. On this, the newspaper spoke to LIA chief, Fadi Gemayel who maintained that export figures continue to drop, and appealed to concerned authorities to halt the decline through taking fast effective measures, like for example, subsidizing the costs of shipping, transport and electricity. Likewise, LIA vice president, George Nesrawi, revealed that the worst hit sectors are the food, clothing and leather and tanning industries. To note, that the Cabinet issued a decree on May 21, barring the importation of clothes and food items from Turkey, in order to protect Lebanese industries, but  was rejected by merchants, because of its incompatibility with free economy, resulting in the freezing of the decree (c.f: https://bit.ly/2ulRS1Q) . On the other hand, the BLOM Lebanon Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for June, has shown that the economy at the private sector level has declined in the second quarter of this year, posting 46.0 falling from 46.4 in May, which is considered the steepest contraction since October 2017. (Al Akhbar, July 10, 2018)

 
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Minister Haj Hassan: Industry and agriculture sectors are not OK!
25% of all trade in Lebanon to close but Hamwi steadfasts!
Beirut merchants: Protecting industry is incompatible with free economy
Ban of import of cloths, food from Turkey to support domestic industry
 

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Nassib Crossing, gate to 30% of Lebanon’s exports, recaptured by Syrian army

9-7-2018

The Syrian Regime forces have regained control of the famous Nassib Crossing on the Syrian-Jordanian border closed since 2015, according to Al Akhbar. And since Lebanon urgently needs this sole overland route for Lebanon’s foreign trade, particularly to GCC countries, Iraq and Jordan, in order to reduce the high cost of transportation, Lebanon’s utilization of the crossing requires talks with the official Syrian authorities, Al Akhbar wrote. In this respect, the General Security Director General, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, has been in the past few months coordinating with the Syrian and Jordanian authorities to this effect, not by a formal mandate but always in consultation with President of the Republic Michel Aoun. This time however, Ibrahim is reluctant to act without an official dictate from the president or the government, Al Akhbar reported, citing informed sources as saying Syrians will not settle for less. Al Diyar newspaper, for its part, said the closure of Nassib Crossing has had a grave impact on Lebanese exporters, referring to estimates which proved the decline by 50% in the export of made-in-Lebanon goods to Arab Gulf states. On the other hand, Al Akhbar stressed that the crossing is vital for being a conduit for more than 550,000 tons of Lebanese agricultural products at a value of USD 300 million as well as, for industrial commodities at a value of more than USD 500 million, while noting that the total anticipated exports could near USD 800 million, amounting to 30% of Lebanon’s overall exports. Al Akhbar also indicated that exporting through Nassib requires from five to seven days for the arrival of goods to their destination as compared to 10 to 30 days via sea routes. On the subject, the head of the Beqaa Farmers’ Association, Ibrahim Tarshishi, grieved over the anguish of Lebanese farmers in the past three years during the closure of the Nassib Crossing. He also mentioned the satisfactory time needed for the arrival of goods to destination countries via the crossing as compared to alternative routes, urging the Lebanese government to step up negotiations with its Syrian counterpart to secure the access of Lebanese exports through Nassib. Likewise, the president of the Syndicate of Truck Owners in Lebanon said the crossing is of utmost importance to the country. (Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, July 9, 2018)

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Water project between Safadi & Agricultural Cooperative of Qubayat

9-7-2018

As part of the USAID funded Lebanon Water Project (LWP) and in cooperation with the Agricultural Cooperative of Qobiyat, the Safadi Foundation inaugurated on Friday the new water distribution network in Barkat al Shanbuk, Qobiyat. The ceremony included a field trip and a meeting at Qobiyat municipality between the parties involved in the project. According to agriculture engineer, Emile Asmar, more than 60 farmers or what is equivalent to 1600 dunks of farmland who will get a water source after over 40 years of scarcity are expected to benefit from the project. For his part, Mtanious, the head of the agricultural coop pointed out that the project was born from the suffering of farmers in their endeavor to secure water, noting that the cooperative has devoted a land and prepared a technical feasibility study for the project that was launched three years back. Mtanious also praised Safadi Foundation general director Rana Mawlawi for her adoption of the water distribution undertaking. (Al Mustaqbal, July 7, 2018)

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