News

The Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, inaugurated yesterday the wine fair 2014 organised by Vinifest at the Beirut hippodrome with the participation of the EU Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst as well and other European diplomats and key public figures. The president of the Lebanese wine federation, Zafer Chaoui, noted in his opening speech that the overall wine production in Lebanon is 8.5 million bottles of wine of which 32% are exported.  He also noted that wine import from European countries exceeds export and that is why, the EU is working in collaboration with member states to increase imports from Lebanon, knowing that the Lebanese wine is already present in the markets of 24 European countries, namely the UK, France and Germany.
For her part, Eichhorst noted that Lebanon is considered amongst the most important wine producers given the diversity of its soil and as indicated by its record of 32% exports. The Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Louis Lahhud saluted the Lebanese winemakers who are extending great efforts for raising Lebanon's name and for making wine a main ambassador of Lebanon all over the world.  He added that his Ministry is currently carrying out preparations for holding the Lebanese wine day in New York in May 2015.

Source: Al-Diyar 10 October 2014

The Minister of Agriculture, Akram Chehayeb, announced during the ministerial meeting held yesterday by the FAO in Rome and entitled “Governance and International Commodity Markets” that Lebanon is preparing its national strategy for agriculture for 2015 - 2020.  The strategy will seek to strengthen food security, and sustainable rural and agricultural development.  Chehayeb clarified that his ministry will implement this strategy at different levels namely through increasing productivity, providing safe food supply, increasing the contribution of agriculture to GNP, curtailing rural exodus, raising agricultural awareness and the rational use of natural resources. In a related vein, Chehayeb indicated that total annual imports of food have exceeded now USD two billion thus recording a 90% increase over the past ten years.  Chehayeb added that this situation makes Lebanon vulnerable to fluctuations in the prices of food and agricultural products.

Source: Al-Safir 10 October 2014

The “SME Policy Index: The Mediterranean Middle East and North Africa 2014, Implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe” report was launched recently.  The report assessed policies regulating small and medium enterprises in Lebanon and in 8 other countries of the region, and defined key priorities and reforms needed to liberate the capacities of these enterprises to generate jobs and development.  The report which was put together by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union, and the European Training Foundation (ETF) in consultation with European Investment Bank, highlighted strengths and weaknesses in designing policies specific to this sector based on the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) which was adopted by the European Union. Key recommendations of this assessment included stimulating coordination between ministries and relevant institutions working with SMEs and supporting the latter, registering SMEs via inclusive services centers, analysing better SMEs’ training needs, organizing training workshops on entrepreneurship, especially on women's entrepreneurship.
Source: Al-Nahar 9 October 2014

As Safir newspaper published a report about the commercial activities in the clothing and footwear sector in Lebanon, which has been declining since 2010.  The president of the Association of Hamra Traders, Zuheir Itani, noted that this year was the worst since 1990 especially with the decrease in the number of foreign tourists, adding that the commercial activity has decreased by 50% since 2010. He also noted that activity was extremely weak even during the Eid.  Another clothing shop owner in Hamra noted that some shops owners were forced to lay off their employees and to reduce costs as much as possible.  He added that the situation has had its toll on all economic activities and has increased unemployment rate and subsequently decreased purchasing power.
A similar situation also prevails in the Mar Elias and the Moawwad markets where merchants say that commercial activity has decreased by 70% since 2010.  The president of the association of merchants of Moawwad", Issam Abdallah, warned about the present dangerous economic situation in the country which is further exacerbated by the road closure and which can lead to the total destruction of the commercial activity.  Markets in the Metn area do not fare any better according to the report as the activity is stagnating in Jdeideh, Zalka and Bourj Hammoud.  The president of the association of merchants in Zalka and Amaret Chalhoub, Philippe Samarani, noted that there is a 30% decline in sales compared to earlier years.

Source: Al-Safir 9 October 2014

Caritas president, Father Paul Karam, signed the day before yesterday 3 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the municipalities of Saida, Tyre, and Qssaybeh, to implement development projects within the framework of an on-going programme entitled “Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development, and Investment” (BALADI), which is funded by USAID and implemented with a number of local organisations.  The MoU included three projects namely the refurbishment of sports stadiums in cooperation with the municipality of Saida, building a public garden and a cultural centre in cooperation with the Municipality of Qssaybeh and the setting up a permanent traditional crafts center in Tyre in cooperation with the Municipality.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 October 2014

The head of the pharmacists' department in the Kataeb (Phalangist) Party, Dr. Joe Sallum, noted during a conference on "Pharmacists and women: the role of pharmacists in combating violence against women", which was organised last Sunday by the departments of women's issues and pharmacists in the Party, that the idea to organise the conference arose because of the pharmacists endeavor to support the implementation of the recently adopted law to protect women from family violence.  Sallum went on to explain that women victims of violence are likely to approach pharmacists as a first interface in order to obtain painkillers.  Henceforth, pharmacists of the party decided to submit a law petition entitled "pharmacists obligation to report" whereby a pharmacist is required to report cases of domestic violence through a special hotline, after receiving the consent of the victim, and is expected to benefit from immunity and not be legally pursued for this action.
For his part, MP Sami Gemayel insisted on the important role that pharmacists can play in reporting violence.  He also highlighted the need for of enacting a civil family law which he considers to be an entry point for protecting women.  Gemayel also referred to the draft civil marriage law submitted by his party in 1969, while calling for its endorsement.
Source: Al-Akhbar 8 October 2014

Kafa released a statement the day before yesterday condemning the stonewalling of the Urgent Matters Court in Aley in a matter involving a woman awaiting a protection order to safeguard her and her children from her husband's repeated acts of violence.  The matter has been dragging since last July and, according to Kafa's statement, the Court has requested the woman in question to procure a number of documents which necessitate protracted time to be issued thus postponing the matter indefinitely despite its urgent nature.  Kafa's statement concluded by challenging the logic of such postponement in an issue that news swift attention of no more than 48 hours and which is dragging for more than 3 months.
Source: Al- Akhbar 8 October 2014

L'Orient le Jour published an article last Saturday on the results of a study it undertook on the “economic contribution of migrant workers from South Asia”.  The newspaper interviewed several migrant workers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India who represent the highest numbers of migrant workers in Lebanon in order to determine their consumption trends. To be noted that, according to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Lebanon, the number of incoming migrant workers decreased over the past few years in view of the deteriorating security condition in the country and the impoverishment of many Lebanese families.

On the consumption trend of migrant workers, the newspaper revealed that out of the average total income of USD 400 to USD 500, some USD 100 to USD 200 are spent on accommodation, and USD 40 on electricity and water bills. The study indicated that food consumption differs according to nationality.  Migrant workers from Bangladesh spend some USD 100 monthly on food compared to USD 200 for Sri Lankans.  Transportation expense is estimated at LBP 100,000 a month, while residency fees amount to LBP 500,000 per year Finally, some USD 50 are spent on clothing every two to three months while remittances to their families abroad are estimated at a total of USD 1000 per year.

Source: L’Orient Le Jour 4 October 2014

The launch of Kafa's latest campaign last month which focuses on the sex industry in Lebanon and which was covered in WEEPortal on September 16th 2014, instigated several articles in local newspapers. The latest was an article published yesterday in the Al Akhbar newspaper tackling the ways in which judges and investigators deal with sex workers.
According to the writer, sex work in Lebanon is considered to be a vice crime and law enforcement extends large efforts to arrest sex workers as they are considered criminals, adding that in most cases, law enforcement does not investigate the possibility of trafficking and coercion.  In this context, the author referred to a study produced by Nizar Saghieh and Ghida Frangieh entitled “Prostitution is a moral crime or an exploitation crime?” that was launched by Kafa in 2013. The study indicated that the law is enforced selectively on the marginalised sex workers, but that a blind eye is turned on the various forms of illicit organisations of sex work, and on trafficking in women across borders for the purpose of sex work. Moreover, the study stressed that clients do not have any legal liability whereas sex workers are given harsh sentences against a background of superficial investigations which fail to take into consideration their vulnerable social and legal background.

Source: Al-Akhbar 7 October 2014

The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) announced the convening of the first annual international World Women’s Health and Development (WWHD) forum.  The event will take place at the UN Headquarters in Geneva from 19 to 21 October 2014 and will seek to produce an international declaration on women's health for sustainable development.  The organising committee also announced that a young Lebanese woman, Nour al Assaad, was chosen to present the vision of the youth on women's health during the inaugural session.  Al Assaad was selected amongst 2644 young applicants because of the nature of her vision.  Nour is an activist who carries development ideals and works on scientific applications for bringing about positive change and for community development.  The Forum will include several topics, namely women's health and sustainable development, international women's health policies, environment, media, lifestyle and economic conditions and their impact on women's health, women's mental health, scientific research and its importance in developing women's health through early detection and treatment.
To be noted that the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) in an international NGO affiliated to the UN and created in 1968.  It seeks to serve humanity through education, health, scientific research and other sustainable development projects.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 7 October 2014