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Egyptian potato entered the country notwithstanding farmers’ protests

15-2-2018

The Beqaa potato growers staged a sit-in at the Agricultural Research Center in Riyaq-Tal Amara on Monday to protest the entry of Egyptian potatoes to the local markets before February 20th as was requested by the Lebanese farmers (c.f: http://bit.ly/2Esi17c). A ship loaded with 7,000 tons of potato has arrived at the Port of Beirut, despite a reported agreement that Lebanon imports nearly 50,000 tons close to the harvest season of the Akkari potato this mid-March. On the subject, Al Diyar newspaper today cited the president of the Beqaa Farmers’ Association, Ibrahim Tarshishi, as saying, “truth has been defeated” and the Egyptian goods have secured their entry into the country purposely ignoring local farmers’ concerns and complaints and the supposed pledges they received in this regard. He said 4 container ships loaded with Egyptian potato have arrived and freely unloading their cargo, which shows that “the pressures exerted on Lebanon are bigger than the country,” Tarshishi grieved, adding, that today the port is expected to receive more than 5 thousand tons. “The farmer is the scapegoat that is always used to lay the blame on for all that goes wrong and it is no one’s concern,” Tarshishi lamented. (Al Diyar, February 13, 15, 2018)

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Lebanon showcases fruits in Germany and food in Beirut festival

12-2-2018

The chairperson and general manager of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL), Nabil Itani, inaugurated the Lebanese pavilion at the fresh produce Fruit Logistica in Germany (from 7th to 9th of February) in the presence of representatives of participating Lebanese companies. To recall, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon (FCCIAL) is organizing the pavilion for the 8th consecutive year under the sponsorship of IDAL with some 28 exporters and 12 companies occupying this year’s 104 square meter pavilion. According to IDAL, Lebanon’s presence in the trade show features the competitiveness of the Lebanese agricultural products on world markets, especially that Fruit Logistica represents a vital gateway for exports of the sector to European and global markets. The event also comes within the framework of IDAL’s support to productive sectors, namely agriculture. Itani made clear that while made-in-Lebanon goods cannot compete in quantity, today they compete with the high quality they boast after complying with international standards and specifications. On the other hand, the Cheese Meats Bread-Winter Festival organized by Art Monit opened last Friday at the Trainstation Mar Mikhael, Beirut under the sponsorship of industry minister represented by director general Dani Jad3on. After touring the pavilions of the exhibition, Jad3on emphasized the role of the ministry in promoting Lebanese industry, stressing the need to familiarize domestic consumers with the local production, especially that many countries are not facilitating Lebanon’s exports as can be seen in the import-export trade deficit. (Al Diyar, February 10, 2018)

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French corporate support to Lebanese SMEs

8-2-2018

The French container transportation and shipping company, CMA CGM group, founded by French-Lebanese businessman Jack Saadeh, concluded a partnership yesterday with SMART ESA affiliated with l’Ecole Superieure des Affaires (ESA) to support Lebanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) incubated by SMART through the Merit Venture investment fund. Accordingly, each startup will receive a cash grant of USD 25,000 to USD 30,000 in return for 8.5% of its profits. SMART ESA managing director, Jihad Bitar, said the cooperation will accompany startups in the most difficult phase to help them reach the funds required to launch their businesses, and will, as well, back entrepreneurs on the long term to facilitate their access to external markets. SMART ESA has supported some 30 startups in 2017, and is expected to support 30 enterprises shortlisted for this year as of this coming March. For his part, the head of the French Regional Economic Missions, Jacques de Lajugie, said this partnership is another step forward in the French companies’ commitment to the development of entrepreneurship and creation of jobs in Lebanon.  (L’Orient Le Jour, February 8, 2018)

 

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New fund to support SMEs in the region
Nine of ten companies in Lebanon are SMEs
Berytech to support SMEs with EU funding
Roadmap to develop SMEs and for greater employment
The Lebanese Women Angel Fund up and running
 

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Russian Ambassador: cooperation with the Syrian government to participate in post-war reconstruction

7-2-2018

The president of the Gathering of Lebanese Businessmen and Businesswomen (RDCL World), Fuad Zamakhal, disclosed during a lunch on February 5, with the Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zaspekin, that Lebanon can play a pivotal role in the reconstruction of war-torn Syria. Due to its leading humanitarian contribution to the crisis of the displaced Syrians on its territory, Lebanon is entitled to participate, directly or indirectly, and in partnership and synergy with Russian companies in rebuilding the neighboring country, Zamakhal said. He hoped Lebanon can extend this help through resident and expatriate firms and hence expand its stake in the reconstruction project. Lebanon, RDCL president explained, is going through its most difficult period in its history, at the economic, social, political and security levels, in addition to general recession and the shrinking investment and tourism activities. As regards the ongoing conflicts in the region, Lebanon is at an equal distance from all parties, Zamakhal noted, pointing to the essential role Russia has played in ending the fighting and combatting terrorism in Syria.” Zaspekin, for his part, pointed out that with the gradual return of stability to Syria and the improved humanitarian situation there, a new and broader horizon opens for the return of refugees and the reconstruction of the state with the participation of parties cooperating with the Syrian government. Lebanon shall play a major role in this regard, Zaspekin pledged. (Al Mustaqbal, February 6, 2018)

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Calls for halting imports of Egyptian potato

6-2-2018

The minister of agriculture, Ghazi Z3aiter, received a phone call from the Egyptian ambassador to Beirut, Nazih Najari, to discuss the date of importation of Egyptian potato to Lebanon that was set for February 8 according to an agreement between the two countries; L’Orient Le Jour reported today citing NNA. The agreement signed in 1998 allows the exchange of specific agricultural goods during specific months of the year. Z3aiter informed Najari on the outcome of his meeting with a large delegation of potato growers in the Beqaa and Akkar regions who demanded a delay of the date of import of potato from Egypt until after February 15 in order to avoid dumping the domestic market with supplementary quantities and incurring additional losses on the Lebanese farmers. Currently, there are nearly 20,000 tons of this year's harvest waiting to be disposed of. After the Egyptian ambassador voiced his disapproval for the non-compliance on Lebanon’s part with the agreement, Z3aiter stressed the keenness of the Lebanese government, presidency and legislative to maintain the best relations with Egypt but at the same time to secure the interests of the Lebanese farmers. To recall, Z3aiter received on Sunday around 300 farmers from various Beqaa areas who threatened to discard and toss what remained of their produce on the roads if the Egyptian potatoes were allowed in before February 15 or before the stored supplies were completely marketed.  (Al Diyar, L’Orient Le Jour, February 5, 6, 2018)

Previous related news:
Crisis of agriculture to continue amidst government’s indifference
Crisis of marketing crops versus government’s disability
Efforts to grant entry to Jordan of Lebanese potato fail
 

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China interested in Kleiat airport, Beirut seat for its trade agency

2-2-2018

The revival of the Silk Road initiative linking China with Europe and the Arab region continues to be appealing. In this respect, the minister of state for the displaced, Mouein Merhbi, said that the Rene Mouwad Kleiat Airport could play a pivotal role in this direction, due to its strategic location that boasts exceptional logistic capabilities. As such, it will provide rare investment and economic related opportunities for Akkar and Lebanon through the creation of enormous job prospects, Merhbi said, stressing that many a foreign party has shown interest to this effect, namely the Chinese government. Merhbi was speaking during a ceremony held by the president of the Lebanese-Chinese Business Association, Ali Mahmoud Abdallah, in Adbel, Akkar in honor of the Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian and to celebrate the Chinese-funded IT lab at the Public Technical Institute of Takrit. The donation, to recall, comes as part of ‘the development of vocational education and support to our students and upgrading our institutes to the level of developed countries’. Meanwhile, Beirut was chosen on January 16 as the MENA headquarters for the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) due to its strategic location in the Middle East, free economy and open investment climate, in addition to the logistic facilities Fransabank Group offered to the Council. To be noted, the CCPIT has 30 representative offices around the world and its job targets implementing national strategies for development, boosting foreign trade, bilateral investment and economic and technological cooperation, setting trade and economic policies, foreign trade negotiations, legal consultation, commercial and maritime arbitration and legal reconciliations. With its selection, Beirut becomes the sole representative of CCPIT in MENA, noting that the Dubai office only serves the Gulf region. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, January 17, 23, 2018)

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Agriculture represents 4% of GDP, 6% of domestic labor force

2-2-2018

The minister of agriculture, Ghazi Z3aiter, said yesterday that the agricultural sector constitutes a key source of income and employment in rural areas, representing nearly 4% of the GDP and 6% of the national labor force. Z3aiter pointed out that Lebanon is considered a main importer of agro-food products, particularly that made-in-Lebanon goods barely cover 20% of the local needs, noting that while the total surface area of arable land is 330,000 hectares, only 250,000 are exploited. Z3aiter was speaking during the launch in Beirut of the joint FAO-ESCWA ‘Prospects for Enhancing Food Security in the Arab Region’ report. Z3aiter revealed the rate of households suffering from food insecurity which is about 10% of the total number of households in the country, citing a 2015 study on household food security status. On the other hand, potato growers in Akkar held a broad meeting yesterday as a follow-up of the open meetings to address the recession in the Akkar agriculture season, securing markets for the local goods and halting the importation of the Egyptian potatoes. In this respect, the president of the Cooperative Association for Potato Farmers in Akkar, Omar Hayek, appealed to the prime minister to salvage this year’s harvest and protect farmers and their produce in order to avoid further escalation on their part. In Zahleh, agricultural syndicates called for a meeting in continuation of their protests against the year-round import of potato and onion from Egypt. Participants agreed to meet with the agriculture minister on February 4 in Baalbaq to take the right decision that best serves the Lebanese farmers, and therefore decided to call off the strike scheduled for today, February 2. (Al Mustaqbal, February 2, 2018)

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New fund to support SMEs in the region

1-2-2018

The private equity fund management company in the MENA region, Emerging Investment Partners, announced that EIP Levant Fund, has received capital commitments from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) which is a member of the World Bank Group and from the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF). EIP said the fund, with a size of USD 50-60 million, will conclude the first phase of commitment in the first quarter of 2018, with the participation of regional and international investors. The EIP Levant Fund aims to deploy its capital in the first 3 to 4 years in 8 to 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, with USD 5-8 million investment in each project. To note, the EIP Fund is interested in targeting SMEs in a number of export-bound sectors that are resilient and able to grow in the midst of harsh economic conditions, including healthcare, education, agribusiness, industry, trade, supply and logistics. It will also contribute, through its investments, to making an impact on local communities through furthering economic development and job creation. EIP CEO said the company believes “in the valuable investment prospects in Lebanon and the region”, noting that it will select existing successful and high growth potential companies and help them to expand the scope of their businesses in the Middle East and North Africa. (Al Akhbar, Al Hayat, February 1, 2018) Previous related news: Nine of ten companies in Lebanon are SMEs http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/nine-ten-companies-lebanon-are-smes Berytech to support SMEs with EU funding http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/berytech-support-smes-eu-funding Roadmap to develop SMEs and for greater employment http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/roadmap-develop-smes-and-greater-employment The Lebanese Women Angel Fund up and running http://www.weeportal-lb.org/news/lebanese-women-angel-fund-and-running

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First comprehensive labor force survey in Lebanon

1-2-2018

In cooperation with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Union (EU), and under the patronage of prime minister Saad Hariri, the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) launched yesterday the first and largest “labor force and households’ living conditions survey” targeting 40,000 Lebanese families. The survey covers socio-economic, demographic, education and employment characteristics of household residents in Lebanon, as well as living conditions related to health insurance, disability and housing. Its importance lies in the fact that it is a means for formulating targeted and effective labor policies and information systems in the country due to the lack of documented and up-to-date data and analysis on the work and life conditions for Lebanon’s population, including displaced Syrians. During the launch, CAS director general Maral Tutelian, explained that the survey will provide significant amount of useful data on the living conditions of families and the workforce in Lebanon. This, she said, will facilitate for the first time provision of information on multiple indicators related to the labor force and living conditions on the Caza (district) level, and will for the first time provide data on the seasonality of labor. “These indicators are among the most important of those included in the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda which Lebanon committed to implementing and insuring indicators for all its items,” Tutelian maintained. For his part, EU head of operations Rein Nieland, pointed out that up-to-date statistics are required in order to produce better policies and make more efficient decisions. To be noted, that the field work will be carried out over an entire year. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Akhbar, February 1, 2018)

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Beirut third Arab city for highest cost of living !

26-1-2018

The 2018 Cost of Living Index, published by global database Numbeo, ranked Beirut as the third highest in cost of living among 20 Arab cities and 299th among 540 cities around the world. The figures which appeared in Byblos Group ‘Lebanon this Week’ economic report, have shown that the Lebanese capital is the most expensive among 104 cities in middle to high income countries covered by the survey. To note, Numbeo calculates the cost of living in each city based on the consumer prices indicator which comprises the prices of consumer goods, (including groceries and hypermarkets, restaurants, transportation and utilities), as well as a Rent Index, while noting that all indices are benchmarked against New York City prices. According to the survey, Beirut scored 65 points on the consumer prices index, which means that consumer goods in the Lebanese capital is 35 points less than those in NYC. The Rent Index ranked Beirut in 140th place globally, fourth among Arab countries and second among middle to high income countries, receiving a score of 35 points on the index, which means that renting an apartment in Beirut is 65% less expensive than in NYC. (An Nahar, L’Orient Le Jour, January 21, 26, 2018)

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