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The Minister of Industry, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, disclosed yesterday that a debate is currently underway to review the partnership agreement with the European Union based on the principles of friendship and Lebanon’s economic interest. Hajj Hassan was speaking during a meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union, Christina Lassen, and a delegation of the European Commission visiting Lebanon to discuss the initial report by his ministry, in cooperation with other competent ministries and departments, on the evaluation of said agreement. The minister pointed out that the country is witnessing a drastic economic crisis that was aggravated with the Syrian refugee problem that caused the country losses reaching nearly USD 10 billion in the past few years according to World Bank figures. Hajj Hassan, while lamenting that the received aid and loans to alleviate the burden of the refugees do not exceed USD 2 billion, said he was disappointed from the partnership agreement which was expected “to boost exports but which did not happen.” “Lebanon does not demand that the EU accept to import products that are not up to the standards,” he said, adding that neither Lebanon “approves a production that does not observe the international and Lebanese specifications.” However, he noted that a key solution for redressing the present unfavorable social and economic situation lies in achieving higher exports, particularly to Europe, and in the facilitation and acceleration of the process involved. Lebanon, the minister maintained, seeks an increase in exports of certain sectors, such as technology, clothing, food and medicine products. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, October 26, 2016)

 

 

The Bank of Lebanon is organizing its third annual international conference on startups under the title, ‘Bank of Lebanon Business Accelerator Conference’ this November 3 at Forum De Beyrouth. The theme of the 3-day event is ‘innovation: entrepreneurship inside the big companies and entrepreneurships in general’, and creating diversity in an interactive dynamic venue.  It will host start-up enterprises and big corporations coming to showcase their leading edge innovations. A lifted platform has been especially designed for the occasion which will include inspiring lectures and debates. The conference is expected to hit a new record for similar events organized in the Mediterranean region, for it will receive influential figures and managers of companies in the technology industry, in addition to experts in innovation from around 195 cities in 52 countries from around the world. The conference is also expected to attract more than 20,000 guests, including over 1,000 participants, 4,000 professionals, 3,000 entrepreneurs, and 2,000 students. On this special event, the director of the Central Bank’s Governorship, Marianne Howayek, disclosed that the Bank has since mid-August 2013 embarked on a policy to motivate commercial banks on investment in startups, and has, to this effect, issued the Circular No. 331 related to the support of the knowledge-based economy. As part of its efforts to highlight the importance of similar enterprises, Howayek stated, the Bank of Lebanon has decided to organize this conference and associated exhibition. (Al Diyar, October 26, 2016)

 

Since the recent promises voiced by the minister of agriculture, Akram Shehayeb, to find new outlets for exports of apples particularly to Jordan, Egypt and Russia (c.f. http://bit.ly/2eacYHm), have not been realized, a number of individual and social initiatives are offering partial solutions to the crisis. In this respect, Al Diyar newspaper raised questions as to whether the government has traded its efforts to assist exports with an earlier compromise put forward by the Cabinet (LBP 5 thousand per apple crate or box).  In the same vain, the head of the Union of North Metn Municipalities, Mirna Murr Abu Sharaf, announced yesterday that the Union has decided to purchase a considerable amount of the local Metn apple produce estimated at 250 tons (equivalent to 11 thousand boxes) under the motto ‘Apples of Upper Metn are apple for all the Metn’. In the same spirit, the municipality of Byblos organized a 3-day apple festival (from October 21-23) that showcased, beside the fresh apple produce, all kinds of apple-made items, like vinegar, sweets, pies, molasses, juices and jams, and received a wide turnout. In the Beqaa, East Lebanon, businessman Michel Daher disclosed on Friday his plan to set up a factory for the manufacture of apple juice in the area in order to contribute to the marketing of some 30 thousand tons of the fruits (representing nearly 17% of Lebanon’s total production). Negotiations, Daher said, are underway with the industry minister to obtain the required permits to begin construction works expected to finish by summer 2018. Similarly, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik organized last Friday a 4-day event under the theme ‘Love Lebanon, Support Apple Farmers’. Likewise, the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon IDAL announced during a press conference last week the launch of a factory for processing apple chips in Jezzine, the South. On this occasion, the president of Elie Rizk Foundation, one of the factory founders, stated that IDAL will provide the feasibility studies needed for the USD 4-5 million worth of project. He called on local investors to partake in the investment which will create jobs for dozens of graduates from Jezzine. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, October 15, 18, 20, 22, 26, 2016)

 

Previous related news:

Government approves support and compensation to wheat and apple farmers

 

An atmosphere of optimism has hit the Lebanese financial markets last week with the imminent presidency elections planned for the end of this month. In this respect, Solidere stocks continued to skyrocket since the end of last week rising by 19% in only 2 days. The electronic Al Joumhouriya portal reported a significant turnout on purchasing local stocks, particularly Solidere stocks of categories A and B. On the same subject, financial expert, Dr. Gazi Wazneh, disclosed last week that economic economy in 2017 will be better than the previous year, with an expected 2.5% rise against less than 1% currently, as well as the performance of the main economic sectors, namely tourism, real estate investment and consumption. Commenting on the predictable détente after the presidency elections, Wazneh explained that the key component of the 2017 economy will be the positive economic indicators in the event of formation of a new government in the few weeks that follow the election of the president, and consequently, will be less positive if no cabinet is formed. He stressed that in either case, the economy will be  promising next year. The first positive indicator for the presidential breakthrough, Wazneh expounded, is the increase in the size of trading exchange in the Beirut Stock Exchange and the enhanced price in Solidere stocks, in addition to the overall improvement in the circles of investors, business people, and owners of economic institutions. As to the pressing economic priorities for the foreseeable future, Wazneh defined them as follows: Adopt the 2017 general budget to reduce the growing fiscal deficit and public debt; approve the oil and gas related decrees; boost growth; improve relations between Lebanon and the Arab Gulf states; intensify contacts with the outside world to attract the aid needed to alleviate the burden of the Syrian refugee on Lebanon, and finally, resolve the chronic problem of electricity. (The Daily Star, Al Mustaqbal, October 20, 24, 2016)

 

The third edition of the Mediterranean Future Women Program- FAM, announced this week that it is receiving applications for participation in the special training program for young leaders on issues related to gender equality. The program aims at promoting personal and professional capacities of young women aged between 25 and 35 years and coming from countries of the Southern Mediterranean Basin, namely, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. The program which is implemented by the Paris Institute of Political Sciences and supported by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Development, also seeks to develop a Euro-Med network for the promotion of gender equality. The two-week event (May 9-19, 2017) will target around 22 women from the civil, political, business, culture and media fields who will have the opportunity to meet various academic, political, media and art leading figures. For info on how to apply, please visit the following link: http://blogs.sciences-po.fr/womed/2016/10/17/fam2017-ouverture-de-lappel-a-candidatures-3e-edition

(L’Orient Le Jour, October 24, 2016)

 

The monthly business magazine, Lebanon Opportunities, organized last week its annual conference under the headline, ‘Innovation in Entrepreneurship’, which also saw the distribution of 8 prizes to distinguished entrepreneurships. The general manager of the mother company Info Pro, Ramzi Hafez, pointed out that the event seeks to communicate success stories pertaining to Lebanese establishments to other institutions, which is the aim of Lebanon Opportunities since its launching in 2003 . The winners for the category of small enterprises are: Mangomolo, a live streaming and VOD (video on demand) platform provider for broadcasters; for the category of entrepreneurship training: The Lebanese British Center for Technological Exchange; for hospitality: Beyt guesthouse; the product of the year: Atelier Assal; the trademark of the year: Beirut Beer; publicity campaigns: Byblos Bank; General services: the Real Estate Survey. As for public institutions, the winner this year was: EDZ (Electricite de Za7leh), 24 hour electricity provider since 2015. In the same vein, Hafez revealed the setting up of the Green Business Club to motivate companies to observe ecological and environmental standards. The announcement coincided with the accession of some 400 businesses to the so-called ‘Green Document’ launched by Lebanon Opportunities back in 2011. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 20, 2016)

 

For some time now, the concern of civil society associations has been focused on the issue of participation of women at all levels of public life. In this framework, a number of events were held last week emphasizing the role of political parties in supporting women’s involvement, particularly after the latest municipal elections have demonstrated the political factions relinquishing of that role. Maharat Foundation and Hivos International organized a workshop to launch a study prepared by the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) entitled, ‘the presence of women in the electoral  media and municipalities 2016’. The study which was funded jointly by the European Union and Hivos, indicated that politicians and officials and administrators involved with organizing and management of the elections file are the least concerned about the participation of women in public life. It pressed the need to “reconsider the stereotypical images of men and women”, with emphasis on the role of the media in the emancipation of women to this effect. While Zeina Helu, LADE secretary general, drew attention to a persistent decline in women’s political participation in 2016, civil activist Ali Slim, outlined the findings of the study. He pointed out that women in Lebanon only occupy 3.1% of the total parliamentary seats, while women voters make up 51% of the total number of voters. Similarly, Lubnaniyoon association held a meeting on Friday in the presence of representative of political parties in order to plan for a women’s revolution on all the Lebanese territories. The aim of the uprising is to introduce a fair women’s representation quota in the electoral laws. Participants warned to boycott upcoming elections in case the government did not respond to this demand. In the same vein, a delegation of the ‘Women in the Parliament’ alliance, led by Taline Taurikyan, Rima Dinnawi from YWCA and Randa Yassir director of Smart Center, visited last Saturday Zafer Nasser, the general secretary of the Social Progressive Party (PSP) to discuss the ‘Parties Nominate Women’ (project coordinated in the name of the alliance by YWCA). Nasser underlined the PSP’s support and cooperation to the end of promoting women’s political role. (Al Mustaqbal, L’Orient Le Jour, October 22 and 24, 2016)

 

In partnership with the Swedish Organization for International Development, Diakonia, Dar el Amal Association organized a seminar last Saturday for employees and administrative staff in the private sector in Zahleh and the Beqaa on the social reintegration of released women prisoners in society. The event held at the premises of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Zahleh was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the General Directorate of Security Forces. In her opening address, Dar el Amal officer, Huda Qara, pointed out that the association has since 1996 been providing the three main women prisons in Baabda, Tripoli and Zahleh with the necessary equipment, and the women inmates with the social, medical, legal and mental support they needed. The association, Qara stated, arranges educational and professional training workshops to help those women acquire the skills they need for post-prison work life. She concluded by drawing the attention of the government, as well as the private and public sectors, to their obligation and role in the protection of human rights without any form of discrimination. For his part, the commander of Zahleh jail, Lt. Colonel Imad Beydun, described the painful reality of women prisons in Lebanon as a result of the overcrowded old buildings that lack proper recreational spaces, in addition to the shortage of personnel, apparatus and adequate funding. During the seminar, the owner and director of Shomu3 shop, Rana Salameh Kfuri, who teaches women inmates the art of decoration, spoke about her experience in this field. “A profession is on the one hand, the beginning of recuperation of the woman inmate’s life and her liberator from the past misery during imprisonment as well as a tool for empowerment, on the other,” Kfuri maintained. To close, two inmates gave live testimonies of their suffering after their release and the stigmatization and rejection by society that did not give them the opportunity of finding a decent job. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 22, 2016)

 

Within the framework of promoting the rights of women in Lebanon, ‘Say No To Violence’ Association called for the participation of Lebanese women in all kinds of sports and providing them with a safe and supportive environment, particularly in communities that consider sports a field for the empowerment of girls and women. The association underlined that women’s involvement in sports activities is significant for their physical and social development, especially for girls, noting that sports also contribute to enhancing self-awareness and self-respect. In this respect, the association commended the achievement of the Lebanese international champion, Rula Khaled, who came second in Thai Boxing at the  Asian Olympic Beach Games held in Vietnam. (Al Diyar, October 23, 2016)

 

The Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB) launched yesterday a new initiative engaging the private sector to appoint women in administrative boards in order to reach a participation rate of 30% by the year 2025. On the plan, LLWB director, Asmahan Zein, revealed that since two weeks, some 20 Lebanese establishments have committed to this goal. Noting that women currently represent only 1% of posts in the boards of directors of private sector institutions, Zein said she hopes the initiative will eventually attract more establishments. Stating that the majority of businesses are family run, with a dominating patriarchal presence, Zein disclosed that in the second phase of the plan, LLWB will press for the enactment of a women representation quota in the private sector. She also pointed out that each of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the Lebanese Businessmen Gathering, the Lebanese Franchise Association and Capital Concepts Holding, have agreed to this suggestion yesterday and signed on move towards achieving the goals of the initiative. During the launch ceremony, Nabil Fahed, the Beirut Chamber’s vice president, mentioned that women presently make up nearly 21% of board positions, hoping to hit the 30% figure shortly. Fahed pledged to spread the word to some 15 thousand member companies to study the subject. Meanwhile, Fouad Zmekhol, head of the Businesspeople’s Gathering, confirmed that the presence of women in private sector institutions and on its boards is a positive element and a catalyst for diversity. A study by Peterson Institute for International Economics covering around 22 thousand institutions worldwide, has shown that nearly 60% of these institutions do not involve women in their executive boards. (L’Orient Le Jour, October 21, 2016)