Subscribe to newsletter

Custom Search 1

You are here

Home

Other news

Businessmen and industrialists honors industry minister during a “men-only” dinner

23-11-2016

The President of the Mediterranean Businessmen Union, Jacques Sarraf, held a dinner banquet at his Rabyeh residence in honor and recognition of the accomplishments of the caretaker minister of industry, Dr. Hussein Haj Hassan. Surprisingly, and according to Al Diyar newspaper, the event was exclusively for men as the invitations were sent to industrialists and businessmen without their spouses. On the occasion, Haj Hassan stressed the need to prioritize the economy sector with the commencement of a new presidency era and the formation of a new cabinet, calling on the various industrial and economic bodies, as well as the businessmen community, to be part of an effective and constructive pressure group influencing rigorous economic decisions. “We have repeatedly demanded the need to develop a comprehensive economic strategy, having well-defined objectives and clear-cut timeline,” Sarraf maintained. He also called for the formation of a ministerial team to set and follow up the plan led by the prime minister and the membership of the ministers of foreign affairs, finance, economy and trade, industry, agriculture, tourism and transportation, as well as representatives of main economic bodies. (Al Diyar November 22, 2016)
 

 

Share on

First US-funded olives processing factory in Jezzine

23-11-2016

The USAID funded Building Alliances for Local Advancement, Development and Investment, BALADI, program inaugurated on Friday the first of its kind center for the processing of olives in the Jezzine town of Roum, in partnership with the Federation of Jezzine Municipalities. The project is expected to increase the sales of olives  for some 270 farmers/dealers in some 28 towns in the Federation, as well as create jobs for about 10 persons within the Center’s main functions. During the opening ceremony, Michel Moawad, CEO of the implementing party, Rene Moawad Foundation, pointed out that the factory will not only benefit the community of Roum but will also serve the people of  the Jezzine district. He pointed out that the initiative is important because it stems from the local resources and potentials at hand to secure the fundamentals of steadfastness for the area in a sustainable pattern. Mouwad also underlined the uniqueness of the undertaking as it combines together the storage, sorting, packing, processing and packaging areas. It will transform the olive cultivation from a traditional agriculture to form a basis for a local agricultural industry, Moawad maintained. This, he added, can utilize the flourishing hospitality sector and proliferation of restaurants across Lebanon, and meet the growing demand on all kinds of green, black, solid, crushed and pickled olives, particularly by the Italian eateries. For his part, the US Embassy’s Charge D’Affaires, Danny Hall, noted that the USAID has contributed through BALADI a sum of USD 250 thousand to help the municipality of Roum in building and equipping the factory. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, November 21, 2016)
 

 

Share on

Launch of operations at Special Economic Zone in Tripoli

23-11-2016

The chair of the General Authority of the Board of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Tripoli, former minister, Raya Hassan, announced yesterday the opening of the Zone’s administrative offices and the official launch of its work. On the occasion, Hassan underscored the projected role of SEZ in boosting investment activity in the country starting from its northern capital, Tripoli. She disclosed that work is being initiated simultaneously along financial, administrative and legislative axes, and that consultations are underway with international financing institutions known for their successful achievements in the field. Pointing out that the starting period will take no longer than the first quarter of 2017, Hassan appealed for the support of political and executive circles in attracting the required investments and recruitment of the city’s workforce. She underlined the importance of ensuring a balanced development that will positively impact the cycle of progress, growth and advancement in the North. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, November 22, 2016)
 
Previous related news: 
 

 

Share on

A legal formula is needed to register social enterprises in Lebanon

21-11-2016

In cooperation with a number of partners and with financial support from UNESCO, digital opportunity trust, DOT Lebanon, launched last Friday the so-called ‘social entrepreneurship in Lebanon Map’. The project seeks to create tools to serve social aims which abide by two clear conditions, firstly: the social aim should be the primary mission of the subject company, and secondly, that the company has a business model that allows it to reach financial autonomy, as said Aline Mayard on Wamda (http://bit.ly/2g8RefG). The interactive map presents information on the environmental system of this field of business in terms of the operating companies, (65 companies in total), their regional distribution and what they do, as well as the institutions that provide theoretical and technical support, up to financing (185 supporting institutions). Social enterprises are geographically distributed as such: 68% in the capital, Beirut, 26% in Mount Lebanon and 2% in the Beqaa, North and the South. According to DOT, nearly 16 of these companies are registered as associations, 10 companies not registered, 2 registered as corporations, and one as a limited liability company. As for the supporting institutions, their social services are distributed across many sectors, topped by environment and energy sectors, followed by education, health, rural development, waste management, food security and unemployment. On this, regional director for DOT Middle East, Marianne Bitar Karam, explained that social entrepreneurship in Lebanon has emerged widely, with ‘Souk el Tayyib’ and Arc en Ciel coming in the lead, noting that the latter while legally registered as an association, is not registered as a social commercial business. To note, the official website for the entrepreneurship map will be launched in a week. In its coverage of subject, Al Akbar daily pointed out to the main dilemma facing social entrepreneurship model supporters which is resolving the title, ‘a company or association’. Karam explained to Al Akhbar that social companies generate revenues that could be distributed among stakeholders or could be invested in research and development aims. But, while associations do not have the right to generate revenues, the prime work of the company is provision of the social service, Karam explained. She called for a compromise to this legal quandary through the creation of a legal formula that gives social enterprises access for funding. The formula that social entrepreneurship model backers are promoting is one will allow social commercial businesses to access two key sources of funding: loans (which associations cannot access) and aids provided by donors (which companies cannot benefit from). (Al-Akhbar and L’Orient le Jour 19 November 2016)
 

Share on

Six thousand graduates in the hospitality sector every year yet the labor market cries for more

18-11-2016

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, inaugurated yesterday the 6th edition of Beirut Cooking Festival and the 3rd edition of Salon du Chocolat, at the Beirut International Exhibition Center, Biel, with the participation of 60 chefs and culinary specialists, 100 establishments and individual experts in food and beverages, 70 business owners and chocolate factories. On the subject of food and hospitality industry, Al Akhbar newspaper spoke to the director of the state-run Hotel Management Institute of Dekwaneh, Antoine Hajj, who stressed that food is one product which remained very popular, notwithstanding the security and economic situation in the country. “It is, in fact, the “largest traded commodity today” he added. Lebanon is dubbed one of the best countries in the world for food, as it boasts a significant number of authentic dishes from around the world and a considerable number of foreign chefs, Hajj proudly noted. He disclosed to Al Akhbar the presence of some 42 state-run hotelier schools beside a number of colleges and universities that run special programs in hotel management, pointing to nearly six thousand graduates in similar disciplines every year. In conclusion, Hajj maintained that the food and hotelier sector employs an extensive proportion of the workforce, and that the local labor market is able to absorb more graduates. In a related vein, Al Akhbar mentioned that the occupancy of Beirut’s 4 and 5 star hotels has reached nearly 70% last September, 2016, posting the highest record since 45 months, (March 2012), according to Ernst & Young hotel index.
(Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, November 15 and 18, 2016)
 
Previous related news: 
 

 

Share on

Banana export crisis ends while that of citrus crisis looms

18-11-2016

The Gathering of Southern Farmers announced that it has been informed by the Syrian Economy Ministry yesterday of issuance of permits for a number of Syrian importers to allow, as of this morning, entry into neighboring country through Masnaa crossing, of trucks loaded with Lebanese bananas. Citing Syrian officials, the Gathering’s deputy head, Rida Fadel, disclosed that borders will stay open until the end of the season. Al Akhbar newspaper quoted reliable sources as saying that the new arrangement was not concocted through the Lebanese agriculture ministry, but was concluded through a call by Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah to Syrian President Bashar Assad asking his support to banana growers, particularly that “the Syrian market can accommodate half the Lebanese production,” according to Nasrallah. Efforts, Al Akhbar wrote, were carried on by PS Nabih Berri leading to the resumption of import activity in line with the 2011 trade exchange agreement which mandated the lifting of customs duties on both sides of the deal. Fadel revealed that nearly 15% of the remaining produce will be exported by sea to Jordan. On a related subject, Al Akhbar who confirmed on Tuesday the ‘citrus for banana’ Syrian decision taken early this month, also underscored the opposition of Lebanese agriculture bodies who qualified it as a ‘cheek’ decision, because the domestic market, they argued, is flooded with local citrus products. In this respect, Al Akhbar warned that “while the banana dilemma has been resolved, a new and worse crisis of marketing citrus is bound to follow.” This was further confirmed by Antoine Howayek, president of the Lebanese Farmers’ Association, who recalled that Lebanese citrus goods were always destined to the Arab Gulf markets passing through Syria-Jordan or Syria-Iraq. But with the outbreak of the Syria war, shipment costs increased, amidst fierce competition from Egypt, Syria and the Mediterranean basin, Howayek lamented.(Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, November 15, 17, 18, 2016)
 
Previous related news: 
 

 

Share on

Obstacles to SMEs growth in Lebanon still daunting

17-11-2016

Data and Investment Consult Lebanon organized yesterday a conference entitled ‘financing small and medium enterprises’. The conference highlighted the following areas: 1) mechanisms that facilitate the access of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to proper financing through the development of state policies to this end; 2) simplify the guarantees of the financing process, and 3) strengthen the role of financial institutions active in this area to be able to accommodate the growing demand on their financial resources. In a related context, As Safir newspaper reported today that the challenges SMEs have been facing for years remained unresolved, despite the attractive promotions and slogans advertised by financiers. The main obstacle facing the progress of SMEs, the newspaper wrote, is their lack of a legal service ID which makes their evaluative criteria inadequate. SMEs, As Safir went on to say, also face difficulties in finding markets to their products, competing with copycat businesses that share the same line of production and services, insubstantial studies on feasibility of projects and the needs of the market, and the lack of coordination between universities and labor market requirements. The newspaper also pointed out that SMEs have problems in borrowing because of the demanding guarantees set by the lending banks. As Safir concluded by a call for support to these enterprises which constitute the pillar of national economy as they account for more than 90% of the businesses in Lebanon. )As Safir, November 17, 2016(
 

 

Share on

Safadi foundation promotes responsible tourism in Tripoli

17-11-2016

For the fourth consecutive week, the Safadi Cultural Foundation organized yesterday the 4th cultural session entitled ‘responsible tourism’ as part of the ‘Culture for All’ program. The event was held in the presence of the dean of the school of tourism at Manar University in the northern capital, Dr. Iman Baba and a number of field specialists. The director general of the Foundation, Samira Baghdi underlined the importance of promoting culture among the various components of society and reinstating the city on the national cultural map. This, Baghadi maintained can be facilitated through the esprit de corps of all human resources. For her part, Baba expounded the tourism dossier in all its aspects, starting with a brief definition and points of strength of the sector in general, followed by an outline of the negative influences that can be caused by tourism in any community. Baba then pointed out to ‘responsible tourism’ and so termed responsible traveler or tourist. To close, Baba devoted a segment to the fundamentals of a successful tourism targeting Tripoli and the role of higher education institutions and colleges in the preparation of specialised personnel. (Al Mustaqbal, November 17, 2016)
 

 

Share on

USAID-supported North Social Environment Corridor

16-11-2016

The ‘Social and Environmental Corridor Planning Committee in the North’ launched yesterday its ten year environment strategy to improve ecological conditions and expand the green cover in the area, in the presence of caretaker agriculture minister, Akram Shehayeb, represented by Iqbal Ziadeh. Also present, were mayors of the beneficiary municipalities, namely, Ehden, Bkarkasha, Hasrun, Beshareh, Tanurine, Shatin, Jaj, Lehfid, Ehmej, Akura, Yamooneh and Maqneh. The Committee outlined in a statement activities embraced in the action plan, namely: forestation, forest fire prevention, awareness campaigns, forest management, eco-tourism, capacity building and communication. The said strategy is supported by the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative LRI, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and implemented by the US Forest Service USFS. On the occasion, USAID representative underlined the role of the above planning committee in liaising with neighbor local communities and inspiring them to address their common environmental needs. He stressed USAID commitment to support the Committee in enhancing its capacities in the management of the corridor. The ceremony closed with planting a tree in Ehden Nature Reserve to highlight the significance of teamwork in the restoration and protection of Lebanon’s forests. (Al Diyar, November 16, 2016)
 

 

Share on

Student career orientation exhibition in UNESCO

14-11-2016

The Islamic Center Association for Guidance and Higher Education inaugurated last Thursday its ninth Orientation fair at UNESCO Palace in the presence of industry minister, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan. Under the theme, ‘Your specialization  is not a matter of luck’, the exhibition is expected to last until today, with the participation of about 27 universities. Representatives of higher education institutions carried out pilot activities in front of the visiting students, including broadcasting news in front of a live camera. What initiated this event, the chair of the Association, Ali Zalazali, told Al Safir, is that students lack the right information on the requirements of the labor market, coupled with the absence of educational guidance in schools, and sometimes in universities and colleges. He pointed out that the Islamic Center seeks to help students find proper disciplines that best suit their preferences and personalities through a simple scientific experiment  to this end. About the most wanted disciplines, Zalazali mentioned the education sector, which he said, is always in need of specialists, in addition to future jobs in the promising oil and gas industry. Zalzali also disclosed that introducing ‘educational guidance’ into schools has been proposed before the state-run Educational Center for Research and Development (ECRD), but while conceding its significance, the response of ECRD was that this was not possible for the time being. (As Safir, November 12, 2016)
 

 

Share on

Pages


Subscribe to RSS - Other news