News

The Regie Company inaugurated yesterday a new tobacco factory in the eastern Beirut suburb of Hadath, under the patronage of Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil. Al Diyar newspaper reported that the new factory which was built at a cost of nearly USD 17 million have capacity to boost production from 12,000 to 35,000 boxes of cigarettes per month. The factory also has a license to manufacture leading international tobacco brands starting next June, as announced by director general of Regie, Nassif Siklawi. Minster Khalil praised in his opening words the importance of this undertaking which he said will restore faith in the national economy. Likewise, Siklawi disclosed that the new establishment extends over 12 thousand square meters and will employ some 170 men and women workers. (Al Diyar, 20 May 2015)

The Minister of Economy and Trade Alan Hakim announced yesterday the launch of Lebanon’s participation in Expo Milano 2015. He was speaking during a press conference at the Ministry in the presence of Italy’s Ambassador Giuseppe Morabito, the General Director of Economy and Trade at the Ministry Alya Abbas and the General Consul of Lebanon to Milan Walid Haidar, in addition to media representatives. A documentary film was shown to introduce the Lebanese pavilion and the various art performances that will accompany the event from May to October 2015. Morabito explained that the exhibition will focus on food safety and global hunger, commending the significance of Lebanon’s contribution. For his part, Hakim considered the fair as a doorway to showcase the Lebanese cuisine and food industry at an international prestigious platform. He noted that the expo which started on May 1 will host some 131 countries, and is expected to attract more than 20 million visitors. (Al Diyar, 20 May 2015)

The transport crisis to the Gulf provoked by the recent closure of the Syrian Jordanian borders is practically on its way to be resolved. According to As Safir newspaper issue of today, the first transport ship embarked two days ago from the Port of Tripoli carrying 60 refrigerated and normal trucks to Saudi Arabia, on board were 25 Arab registered and 35 Lebanese owned trucks. After two months of crisis and two weeks since the return of some of the trucks stranded in Saudi Arabic, the Mid Bridge container vessel left Tripoli to KSA as a first trial for the new proposed shipping line. The ship which has carried the trucks has entered the northern port few days ago but was delayed by the protesting Lebanese truckers. However, after intensive negotiations with the truck drivers the first pilot RO-RO shipping mission was able to sail. This pilot operation came as a result of the collaboration between the General Directorate of Maritime Transport, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli, the North and Lebanon’s Refrigerated Truckers Syndicate and the Tripoli Port Administration. Focus has now moved towards finalizing all administrative procedures to transform the maritime line into a permanent one. (Safir, 19 May 2015)

Beirut Arab University organized a seminar entitled ‘Success Story’ which hosted the CEO of ‘Al Iktissad Wal Aamal’ Group, Raouf Abu Zaki in the presence of BAU President Dr. Amru Al Adwi, Deans of various schools at the University, a number of ministers and business figures as well as a crowd of BAU graduate students. In his address to students, Abu Zaki pointed out that the key factor for actual success in education and therefore in career life is the clarity of vision, adding that the career process starts with identifying the right area of specialization, noting that education does not stop with one’s last degree. Stressing that the diploma alone does not make success, Abu Zaki pointed out to various points of strength that helped him reach success, mainly positive thinking and choosing the right vocational occupation. Highlighting the present educational curricula, Al ‘Iktissad Wal Aamal’ chief described the curricula as inflexible, closed, slow and therefore inadequate in meeting the evolving needs of the labor market. Schools, he maintained, do not offer the proper assistance and tools that will help their students to discover their talents and develop their orientations. Likewise, he said, that current higher education programs are incapable to accompany new developments. However, he concluded, that the responsibility for the present educational situation cannot fall only on educational institutions adding that it is very much the outcome of the overall political, security, economic, social and cultural context that is prevailing in Arab societies. (Al Mustaqbal, 19 May 2015)

The Ministry of Labor issued a statement yesterday calling on all production sectors to respect the Labor Law and its implementation mechanisms which regulate the work of foreigners in Lebanon, while blaming as expected the Syrian displaced persons for the unemployment problem which in fact is endemic. The statement which referred to statistics of unknown sources which estimated the current unemployment rate at 25%, noted that the Ministry has given institutions a waiver of several months to legalize the situation of their foreign employees based on a request by Minister Sejaa Azzi. Azzi has held for this purpose a number of meetings with representatives of several production sectors with the presence of experts to facilitate the issuance of work permits for foreigners and schedule their due payments. Now that this grace period has elapsed, and several institutions have failed to legalize the situation of their foreign employees, the Ministry is thus inviting these parties once more to give priority to Lebanese for employment and limit the employment of foreigners to sectors that require foreign expertise and especially when no Lebanese are found for the job.  The statement of the Minister also gave a special regards to Arab “brotherhood” and is asking employers to give special attention to Syrians, Palestinians, Egyptians and Iraqi and ensure that they are employed according to the law as well as refrain from sacking Lebanese employees for the purpose of replacing them with foreigners. The memo calls on employers to settle the situation of their foreign employees in a period not exceeding two weeks and to give due consideration to the rights and entitlements of these workers notably working hours, social and health security as well as annual leaves. Employers should apply directly for work permits and not go through mediators except ones that are endorsed by the employer in order for the process to be transparent and to prevent problems arising because of mediators. The statement warned that any failure in following these instructions will make the employer liable to investigation and penalty; it also disclosed that it has also set up an emergency unit to oversee the proper and swift implementation of these guidelines and to speed up the necessary investigation process. (Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, 19 May 2015)

BIFEX 2015 forum held under the title ‘Business Beyond Borders’ reflected the concerns and fears as well as challenges and achievements of the franchise sector in Lebanon amidst the precarious economic, security and political conditions. The event was organized by the Lebanese Franchise Association (LFA) under the patronage of Prime Minister Tamam Salam represented by Ministry of Tourism Michel Pharaon in the presence of the Ministers of Finance, Industry and Labor. The forum noted the need for political and security stability to overcome the present economic hurdles. Pharaon in his address pointed out that the franchise sector secures some 99 thousand jobs accounting for nearly 4% of the Gross Domestic Product, equivalent to USD 2.4 billion. It also showcases an embodiment of Lebanese innovation and creativity which is being exported to over 40 countries, “where on the other hand, many countries in the region tend only to receive and locally market foreign franchise licenses”. Minister of Industry Hussein Haj Hassan praised the fact that the franchise sector contributes to exporting the Lebanese know-how and products thus constituting part of its industrial exports. He confirmed that the Lebanese Industrialists Association has lately appealed for government support of the industrial sector, adding that the latter has the capacity to create some 1500 new jobs every year, and can significantly contribute to reducing the trade deficit which has reached a high of USD 17 billion. For his part, Labor Minister Sajaan Azzi said that through its support to small and medium enterprises to develop new trademarks, LFA is consequently helping in creating new job prospects, cutting back on the emigration of Lebanese workforce but will not be able alone to put an end to the growing level of unemployment that reached 25% overall, and 35% among the youth. (As Safir, Al Diyar, 14 May 2015)

The General Directorate of General Security took yet another discriminatory measure by the end of last year vis-a-vis migrant workers of categories 3 and 4, namely those with very low income. The measure requested from the “sponsor” to make sure that there is no personal/emotional relationship of any sort between the migrant worker and any other migrant residing in Lebanon. The sponsor also commits to go to General Security should such relation take place and provide a return ticket for the migrant worker. During that same period, the Directorate General of GS had also decided to withhold the renewal of residency permits for the children of migrant domestic women workers as these, according to GS, are in Lebanon to work and not to fall in love and build families. Based on this, a memo was sent from the Ministry of Justice to the Chief of the Council of Notaries requesting that a relevant clause be added to the sponsor’s affidavit when bringing in or ‘transferring’ migrant workers. The DG of GS justified these decisions as being of a “protective nature” because in the case of these categories of workers, they do not enjoy an environment that is conducive for raising families according to the media spokesperson of the GS, brigadier Nabil Hannun.  However, lawyer Nizar Saghieh notes that the GS has no remit to decide as to which environment is suitable for raising children. Saghieh added that the GS has committed a serious human rights violation with such a decision which contradicts the provisions of the International Conventional to eliminate all Forms of racial Discrimination as well as the International Covenant of Human Rights which both stipulate the need to combat racism and slavery. The president of the Council of Notaries, Raymonde Bashur, told Al Akhbar newspaper that the Council will not accept any decision which is in violation of human rights and will not keep silent about this matter. (Al Akhbar, 18 May 2015)

Following the raid by General Security units into the offices of Insann Association and the arrest of Renuka Irangani and her husband Jagdish Kumar with no charges (press here for full news), the two Nepalese domestic workers are heading today to the GS headquarters for renewal of their residency permits. According to Rula Hamati, research and advocacy officer at Insann, the General Security did not request the appearance of the employers nor the payment of renewal fees as usually is the case, which arose suspicion of a hidden intention to deport the family. To this end, director and founder of Insann, George Nasrallah, sent an open letter to GS Director General, Abbas Ibrahim, thanking him for renewing the papers. “Your final decision on this family’s case carries major importance,” he stated in the letter hoping the GS would abide by an earlier court decision and observe international conventions. For her part, Hamati said that the positive tone of the above letter aimed to encourage the General Security to act justly and to take the right decision. Al Akhbar newspaper added that in doing so Insann is acting as a watchdog while hoping that GS takes the right decision. (Al Akhbar, 14 May 2015)