News

BLOM Invest economist, Ruba Shbair, noted yesterday that the PMI indicator during December 2019 recorded 45, meaning that the growth rate of the total real GDP is below zero. The decline in new businesses during the same month was key to the deterioration in the operating conditions of private sector companies. For his part, the head of Beirut International Chamber of Navigation, Elie Zakhour, warned of a drastic decline in maritime transport should banks continue to interrupt requests to open documentary credits for merchants and industrialists required to import goods and raw material, as well as prevent shipping agencies from transferring freight fees abroad. Similarly, the president of Mount Lebanon Traders Union, Nasib Gemayel, in an address to the Association of Banks in Lebanon, asked how can commercial institutions repay loans if they don’t operate properly, and appealed to save the sector. Noting, that the parliamentary economic committee was concurrently studying the possibility of an economic emergency draft bill.  On the other hand, the Judge of Urgent Matters in Nabatiyeh, Ahmad Mezher, ruled yesterday against Byblos Bank- Nabaytiyeh branch, requiring it to transfer the sum of USD 1,138,580 from the account of plaintiff, Majed abu Zeid, to his HSBC account in Dubai under penalty of a LBP 10 million fine for each day of delay. In a related development, the Electricity of Lebanon announced yesterday that it will have to continue taking the necessary precautionary measures to maintain the longest possible period of supplying power. Such precautions include the reduction of production consistent with the apportioned allocations from the government to the state-run institution. Currently, the reported volume of power feeding the electric network is only 1500 megawatts until next February. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, Al Akhbar, December 31, January 8, 2020)
 

The head of the Hotels Syndicate in Lebanon, Pierre Ashkar, said the hotel occupancy rate is very weak, barely hitting 20% in the capital and nearly nil (0%) outside Beirut. In an interview, December 29, with Sputnik, Ashkar said he expected a large number of Lebanese expats in Lebanon during the holiday season, which is true, but that the majority stayed in homes not in hotels. He explained that the sector is critically linked to the political and security stability, noting that the only way out is the formation of a new cabinet that will win trust of the parliament as well as the international community. On the other hand, the minister of public works in the caretaker government, Yousef Finianos, issued on December 29, a directive to Lebanese ports requesting the exemption of all cars shipped to said ports from all late fees imposed on relevant delays. This comes as part of measures to alleviate additional costs and huge losses incurred on car importers after the suspension of banking facilities and limits on withdrawals, which prompted many dealers to shut down their auto sales showrooms. In a related development, the parliamentary finance and budget committee approved, in its last session, a draft proposal to suspend until end of June, the measures taken by banks against defaulters requiring them to pay loans backed by Banque du Liban, with a retroactive effect as of the first of October. Noting, that exemptions include various housing, industrial, agricultural, technological and environment related loans. Meanwhile, Lebanon received on Saturday the first batch of gasoline to the Zahrani Oil Installations, after ZR Energy won the state-run tender, in the presence of caretaker minister of energy, Nada Boustani. (Al Akhbar, An Nahar, Al Diyar, December 30, 2019, January 4, 2020)
 

The Lebanese Women National Team U-18 scored the gold victory in the West Asian Football Championship against the tournament host, Bahrain, in a 0-3 win in the finals held on January 5th  in Manama. Footballers Leila Iskandar scored in the 46nd and 87th minutes, while Farah Tayyar hit  another score in the 53rd minute. The Jordanian team came third place beating the fourth Palestinian team while the UAE won fifth place over its Kuwaiti counterpart. Lebanon team’s captain Rida Wahhab received the first place cup and Iskandar the goaler award (7 scores), while the National Team won the fair play award. Recalling, that the above accomplishment is the second for Lebanese women champions who previously starred reaping the West Asian Football Championship U-15. (An Nahar, January 6, 2020)
 

In its issue of today, Al Akhbar newspaper featured civil marriage in Syria, pointing out that Syrian legislations not only talks down civil marriage, but also tends to disapprove similar contracts completed outside the borders. There are many cases, Al Akhbar wrote, of couples wed abroad but who remain single on the national registers, which results in stateless children. The newspaper reminded its readers of the campaign launched a year ago by enthusiast activists under the motto, ‘Syrians supporting optional civil marriage’. The campaign was backed by awareness lectures and meetings with the media, in addition to drafting a bill to this end. Yet, hopes faded when activists saw that members of the people’s assembly soon pulled out after showing support in the beginning (https://bit.ly/2MSqL8P).On the legal interpretation of not recognizing a marriage contract signed outside the country, lawyer Lama Qabbani, explained to Al Akhbar the reason behind the non-responsive attitude of the state. She said the rule of the Syrian law implies that every citizen is subject to the law, and therefore, a marriage contracted outside Syria is not documented or recognized. This legally means that the couple are living together without being married, she added. The law has its flaws which should be urgently addressed, Qabbani concluded. (more on the following link: https://bit.ly/2sw7W4x). (Al Akhbar, January 3, 2020.)
 

The Baabda Execution of Court Decision Department, headed by Judge Zeina Haydar Ahmad, ordered the imprisonment of MP Nawwaf Mousawi’s daughter’s Ex spouse, H.M, for a period of 6 months should he refrain from handing his two children to their mother. The decision was based on Article 998 of the Civil Procedure Rules which authorizes the detention of a convict ordered to hand over a minor should he fail to respond. The decision, to note, comes after the father of the two children refused to execute the judicial decision issued by the Jaafari Judge Sheikh Ali Mustafa Haydar on August 2. Recalling, Ghadir is the daughter of former member of the Hizbullah parliamentary bloc, Nawwaf Mousawi who personally intervened to reclaim his daughter’s right when religious courts were not responsive (https://bit.ly/37xHPZO). On the above decision, Mousawi’s attorney, Jalal Zgheib, told Al Akhbar daily, that the settlement agreement is final and explicit and clearly states the visitation right of his client, pointing out that the imprisonment sentence came within the legal context. For her part, the head of the National Campaign to Raise the Age of Custody within the Shiite Community, Zeina Ibrahim, said scores of imprisonment decisions are issued every day against fathers who refuse to hand over their children to the mother. Yet, what counts is the execution of these decisions, Ibrahim said, pointing to many cases where the father continues to be on the loose encouraged by political tampering. (Al Akhbar, Al Diyar, January 3, 2020)