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Deputy Elie Kairuz (from Lebanese Forces) posed via the head of parliament president Nabih Berri, yesterday, a question to the government, and specifically to the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Mr. Nuhad Al-Mashnuq, about the circumstances of the action of the General Security to deport the member of the syndicate of domestic workers, the Nepalese worker Sushila Rana known as Sujana Rana, and the continuing detention of the member of the syndicate and the general council and general assembly, the Nepalese worker Roja Maya Limbo known as Rosi Limbo, and denial of permission to assign defense lawyers to the aforementioned workers. Keyrouz also questioned the lack of disclosure of any information regarding those two measures, and about the charges of those two workers who are both activists and members of a trade union, despite the submitting a petition to that effect according to procedure by some human right associations and activists in the field of trade union issues, freedoms, and human rights. Keyrouz hoped that the question would prompt the government to conduct the necessary legal action to respond to the question through the concerned Minister and within the time period specified by article 124 of the bylaws of the Parliament, warning that he will be forced to transform his question into a hearing. (Annahar, Al Mustaqbal, January 18, 2017)

 

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Judicial decision halts the deportation of activist, Rosi

Weak mobilization in favor of Sujana and Rosi

Appeal in favour of two detained MWDW unionists

 

L’Orient le Jour shed light in its yesterday’s issue on hydroponics which is  an agricultural technology that is based on growing plants without soil, through using water, minerals and nutrients, and air pumps; it is mostly based on a network of pipes arranged vertically or horizontally. In this context, the newspaper presented some agricultural projects in Lebanon which rely on that technology; Ali Makhzum the owner of the project ‘Life Lab’ https://www.facebook.com/LifeLabBD, stated that this type of cultivation even though it requires a large capital at its start, provides a high quality yield crop year round since space can be utilized as much as possible, which can increase the amount of the crop yield; also it saves water and does not demand much labor force. Also Makhzum pointed out that plants grow in a healthy environment and consequently there is no need for pesticides. It is worth noting that ‘Life Lab’ is an emerging enterprise, whose project won the Hyundai Startup competition in 2015, and it is a farm consisting of agricultural tents with a horizontal hydroponics system located in Al-Koora, its total area is approximately 400 square meters. Also Tarek Al-Khury, another owner of a farm in Al-Koora, emphasized that he started first in cultivating organic products then he shifted to this agricultural technology, after hearing about the successful experience of Life Lab. The total area of Al-Khury farm is 100 square meters and he pointed out that the costs of the primary supplies such as pipes and minerals are high around $175 per one cubic meter, but he emphasized that he will surely compensate for these costs on the first harvest season. (L’Orient le Jour, January 18, 2017)

 

In a statement issued yesterday, the Ministry of Labor called on institutions, companies and individuals who apply for work permits, or for their renewal for male foreign workers of all categories, to submit their applications at least one month in advance of the expiration date of the work permit for renewed work permits or residency for the first time submissions. (Al Mustaqbal, Annahar January 18, 2017)

 

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 Ministry inspection campaign targeting foreign labor

Labor minister pledges to protect domestic workforce from foreign competition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sixteen months after the launch of the program of the " Maritime Lebanese Exports Bridge" (M.LEB)", the program seems to have achieved some important results but still below the targets defined by IDAL, according to its chairperson of the board, Nabil Itani, Itani. Itani speech came in an interview with the newspaper L'Orient le Jour, to comment on the results of the first report of the operation of the program in its first year, where he emphasized that the program was targeting to achieve figures equal to twice what was achieved during the period, without specifying those numbers. The Lebanese cabinet allocated to the program a USD 14 million treasury loan in September 2015, the objective was to find alternative means for land transport, in order to address the implications of closure of the land crossings/ passes between Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, where USD 7.7 million were allocated to the first year. According to the report, the program was able to export approximately 58847 tons of Lebanese products between September 2015 and September 2016,with 87.5 % being agricultural products with legumes having the larger share, whereas 9.7 percent of the food products and only2.8 % of industrial products were exported. The principal destination of export was to Saudi Arabia which 63.8 percent of the products was exported followed by Kuwait 22.8 % and Jordan 11.2 %. In this context, Itani emphasized that despite the importance of those numbers, the program did not manage to achieve all the objectives set for it, especially that out of 217 persons registered in the program, only 61 persons benefit amounting to one third, this is attributed to the conditions that were made to access the subsidies, especially subsidies for products exported by ferries only and not by containers, especially since the cost of the ferries according to what Itani said exceeds the cost of transport by containers,  also, the shifting of many of the exporters to the use of means of marine export through containers being less costly despite needing a longer time period to reach the country of destination. On the rise of the cost of transport by containers, Itani attributed the cause to the lack of competition, since many of the shipping companies refrained from participation. (L'Orient le Jour January 17, 2017)

 

 Al Mustaqbal newspaper shed light in last Sunday's issue on the idea of mobile restaurants in Palestine, noting that it is a novel idea to address unemployment, although it was found since the fifties in the United States and they gained popularity in the Arab region in recent years as a new concept in restaurants since they provide delicious meals at reasonable prices, in details, the newspaper indicated that there is a project 'Qarmushty' in Gaza Strip, and 'Food Train' in Ramallah, they are projects that may differ in the types of food they serve, and the geographical location, but they are two sides of one coin; both aim at providing for the families of the founders and their employees, those who did not find work in their field of expertise.  On the project "Qarmushty", the newspaper pointed out that it was launched in April of last year, following the extreme difficulties that the two brothers Mua'ath and Mahmud Al Hasanat found in finding a stable job, but they wanted a new idea in the country that was not present before according to Mahmud, who stated that the idea may be simple but its content was not easy, pointing out that they found difficulties obtaining permits, equipment and installing the kitchen in a vehicle. Also Mahmud emphasized that the community like the idea pointing out that they "came to our restaurant, especially since we are moving in various neighborhoods, and our menu matches the demand and is affordable to them". As for the "Food train", the liberated prisoner Khaldun Al Barghuthi that the idea was during the imprisonment pointing out that he and his partner Abdel Rahman Al-Bibi wanted to invest in their experience in the food and catering that they gained in prison, and make use of the young men who were with them". In addition, Al-Barghuthi explained saying: " in the beginning, people used to come out of curiousity and also because we were prisoners, but the situation changed now after they tasted the food and discovering our prices that are relatively lower than the market, which resulted in attracting many customers." (Al Mustaqbal, Jan 15, 2017)

 

The new cabinet started working on agricultural files, while citrus farmers in Akkar organized a sit-in to protest the lack of disposal/sales of local produce, and the low prices of citrus fruits, addressing an outcry to the officials "to work towards saving farmers and compensating for the losses and stopping the import of citrus fruits from Syria". In a related context, the head of Cooperative Association of Potato Farmers in Akkar, Omar Said Al Hayek demanded from the Ministry of Agriculture to "apply an agricultural calendar that takes into consideration the local cropping seasons and their protection, and to provide all factors enabling their marketing, and export them and not to import the production at the time our crops are ready", pointing out that the Egyptian potatoes that will enter Lebanon in accordance with the agreements starting next February, and hoping that the amounts are limited and finish before the onset of the local cropping seasons in April.  Furthermore, Ministers of Agriculture, Industry and Economy, met last Saturday to discuss problems faced by dairy producers in Beqaa and suggested solutions to the crisis of crashing the prices of milk, where Minister of agriculture Ghazi Zeiater affirmed the commitment of the government and parliament in that respect. On another matter, the Minister of the Economy, Raed Al Khuri, issued a memorandum yesterday that allows wheat farmers to receive checks due to them for the year 2016. (L'Orient le Jour, Al Moustaqbal, Al Diyar, 12, 17,16, 5, 2017)

 

Previous related news:

Reminder of pressing agriculture-related files awaiting the new government

Long list of agricultural demands awaiting the new cabinet

 

Guardian Council spokesman in Iran, Abbas Ali Kadkhoda'i , announced in a press conference held last Saturday that there are no objections for women to submit their candidacy for the presidential elections.  He noted that the said Council which is entrusted with reviewing the eligibility of candidates as well as interpreting controversial clauses, will review this matter and will give an informed opinion.  To be noted that the Council had rejected women's presidential candidacy before and since the coming to power of the Islamic revolution of 1979.  To be noted,Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the president of Discernment Council of the System, who  died in 8 January, had announced last November that Clause 115 of the Constitution which states that the president has to be a political man, also includes women in this position.  He added that when the Constitution was written in 1979, this clause was left obscure because the situation back then did not allow women to take on the role of president.  However, he added, this clause does not forbid women from becoming President of the Republic. (Al- Diyar, 16 January 2017)

 

According to media reports of the past two days, Kfarshima was shaken by the discovery of a dead baby girl of no more than 2 years old. The baby girl was found by local workers near the rubbish bin with her body covered with bruises and hidden with a blanket.  Following the investigations carried out by the Baabda police station, it was revealed that the mother is from Bangladesh.  Her husband had stolen her money and fled to Tripoli which, according to her, prompted her to kill her daughter since she had no means to raise her and especially since the child suffers from blood and respiratory diseases.  Further interrogation revealed that the mother does little cleaning work which hardly provides her with enough money to pay her rent.  She allegedly felt desperate and thus conspired with her roommates to kill her daughter by strangulation.  The police arrested the mother and her two roommates.  To be noted that L'Orient le Jour also indicated that the mother was also planning to sell her daughter. (Al-Mustaqbal, Daily Star and L'Orient le Jour 16 January 2017)

 

The launch ceremony of the Tyre shopping and tourism festival kicked off last Saturday under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Ghazi Zuaiter.  The event was organised at the Tyre Rest House by the Tyre Merchants Association and the Leader Company in collaboration with the local municipality and was attended by several key personalities.  The Minister noted in his speech the importance of local development in coastal and mountain areas as well as the need to develop the main cities of Tyre, Nabatieh, Saida and their neighbouring villages and towns.  This, he said, requires coordination amongst municipalities as well as professional syndicates so that a development road map with its attended priorities are agreed stating that this requires the engagement of immigrants as well as residents in order to create local investments which would generate employment opportunities.  Zuaiter further reiterated the need to continue giving due consideration to the South as is the case for other regions in Lebanon according to available resources and identified priorities.  The President of the Leader company, Mohammad Shehadeh, spoke for his part about the activities which will be held during the shopping and tourism festival and the discounts which will be offered by merchants in addition to thousands of prizes which will be given to the public.  In addition, mobile entertainment events will be held almost daily throughout the streets of Tyre.  The head of the Tyre Municipal Council, Hassan Dbuk, added that the Municipality stands besides the merchants and the consumers.  He also praised this initiative hoping that this will invigorate the local economy. (Al- Diyar, 15 January 2017

 

The president of the Democratic Gathering, MP Walid Jumblat, met in Mukhtara last Saturday, a committee that included hundreds of Druze women from all regions, representatives of Druze women organisations and social and civil organisations in addition to the Progressive Women Union.  The delegation advised MP Jumblat of a law petition seeking to reform several clauses of the Druze Family Laws namely those related to relations within the family, raising custody age for children and inheritance.  The group asked Jumblat to support and endorse their request for reform following its discussion in the Druze religious council.  During that same meeting, the president of the social committee of the Druze religious council, lawyer Ghada Jumblat,  reiterated that these demands are not new and were initiated by women organisations some time ago.  She added that the Druze religious council took on board these demands which are now being followed. A specialised committee was set up to review the proposed reforms that were subsequently referred to the board of the Druze religious council.  The latter reviewed the proposed reforms and suggested a law petitition which women are now requesting its endorsement.  Jumblat confirmed his endorsement of all reform demands put forward to him. (Al- Diyar, 15 December 2017)