News

The survey of household budget for 2012 carried out by the Central Administration for Statistics (CAS) indicates that the average annual household spending rose to USD 20,749 in 2012 compared to USD 12,764 in 2004 thus scoring an annual increase of 6.3% between 2004 and 2012.  According to that same study, spending on accommodation and utilities (water, electricity, gas and other combustible fuel) constitutes 28.5% of total spending (i.e. USD 5,913 per year).  This is followed by spending on food and non alcoholic beverages constitutes 20.6% of total spending (i.e. USD 4,266 per year), transportation 13.1% (i.e. USD 2,719), health care 7.8% (i.e. USD 1,623), education 5.9% (i.e. USD 1,215), clothing 5.4% (i.e. USD 1,118) and finally, communication 4.6% (i.e. USD 948).  To be noted that according to the study referred to by Bank Byblos weekly newsletter, Lebanon this Week, spending on accommodation alone used up 16.6% of household spending in 2012.
Source: L’Orient Le Jour 13 March 2014

The Lebanese Women League and the Imam Sadr Foundation (ISF) inaugurated their spring handicraft exhibition at the UNESCO palace last week.  The event was attended by guests and representatives of women organisations.  During her inaugural speech, Ms. Maliha Sadr noted that the Sadr Foundation is now offering psychological counseling in all their health centres whilst their Early Childhood intervention ECIL centre is now hosting student interns from the Lebanese and Saint Joseph Universities within the framework of the practicum training programme for speech therapy and psycho-motor treatment.  Sadr added that ISF is also working on launching a new programme to provide services for patients with cerebral palsy.
Source: Al-Safir 17 March 2014

Hospitality Services convened a press conference yesterday in Beirut and under the auspices of Minister of Tourism, Michel Pharaon, to announce the launch of its 21st annual hospitality and food forum, Horeca 2014. The event will kick off on the first of April at the BIEL forum according to the general director of Hospitality Services, Joumana Damous Salameh who noted that despite the difficult situation of the market this year, the venue has been completely booked as Horeca has received sufficient support from the unions and syndicates of hotels as well as other related bodies. The Minister of Tourism highlighted the fact that several conferences and exhibitions kicked off last week which has contributed to reinvigorating the local economy as well as giving impetus to several economic sectors especially tourism.  He added that exhibitions and conference tourisms are key pillars of Lebanese tourism.  
The President of the Syndicate of Lebanese Food Industrialists, Mounir Bsat, noted that food processed products have scored a tangible growth during last year and since the start of this year according to the statistics released by customs authorities.  The sector has also benefited from increased local consumption and especially with the increase in the number of Syrian displaced, which compensated the fall backs in the tourism sector. The sector was also boosted by increased demand for Lebanese food products in external markets, adding that exports of Lebanese food products now reach some 75 countries. Bsat also spoke about the national day for local food products which is being organised parallel to Horeca, and under the slogan: “creation and innovation in the food processing industry”.
Bsat also told An Nahar that exporting should be the objective of every Lebanese industrialist especially those involved in food as the Lebanese market is limited and, as such, industrialists should seize the opportunity of the large Lebanese and Arab diasporas throughout the globe especially Latin America. However, he acknowledged that exports to these countries face hurdles mainly the absence of support or subsidies to the private sector which hinders the opening of new markets. Bsat highlighted the importance of exhibitions such as Horeca, which play a critical role in increasing sales and exports.  He noted the important participation of Lebanon in the Gulf Food 2014 exhibition which recently took place in Dubai whilst noting that the Syndicate is currently in charge of preparing the Lebanese pavilion of the SIAL 2014 exhibition which will take place in Paris next October.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Mustaqbal, 14 March 2014

For further information about the mentioned exhibitions please review:

Horeca 21st exhibition kicks off in the beginning of April with 350 exhibitors and 18 thousand expected visitors, on 26/2/2014

Inauguration of the Lebanese pavilion at the Dubai 2014 Gulf Food exhibit, on 25/2/2014

UNHCR organized yesterday a graduation ceremony for 245 women and men trainees, of whom 75 were Lebanese and 170 Syrians, and who took part in a series of vocational workshops including beauty and hairdressing, crafts and sewing, assistant cooking chefs, ICT, English and French languages, and literacy courses.
Senior Field Coordinator at UNHCR in Akkar, Frédéric Cussigh, indicated in his keynote speech at the ceremony that these workshops were conducted in collaboration with Danish Refugees Council and Ministry of Social Affairs, with EU and Italian government financial support, and aimed at building the capacities of trainees, help them to secure employment, and assist in the social integration of displaced Syrian men and women in the Lebanese local communities. The ceremony was concluded with the distribution of certificates and the launching of a crafts exhibition. Source: Al-Mustaqbal 14 March 2014

According to a new study released by the American University of Beirut, the spending patterns of women and men are almost similar.  The study was carried out by Professors Laurence Leigh and Leila Hanna-Khauli from the Olayan School of Business and covered 400 groups of shoppers in several fashion and sports stores in downtown Beirut.  The researchers teased out, through observing and interviewing women and men shoppers, a view of their planned and unplanned shopping habits. They found that more men than women enter into shops.  However, women tend to have planned their shopping more than men.  However, men and women tend to spend equal time in shops and in shopping items not initially planned although men need to do more impulse shopping than women.
The results of the study were shared during the 13th International Marketing Trends Conference which was held in Italy last January.  The results of the study were unexpected as it raised new problematics related to gender and shopping patterns in Lebanon and whether the limited gender differentiations are a characteristic of Lebanon or part of wider global pattern involving urban consumers.  The expert concluded by saying that AUB intends to undertake more comparative studies of shopping patterns in different western countries and to compare these to the shopping patterns in the Middle East.
Source: http://newspaper.annahar.com/article/114444-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A4%D9%87-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA">Al-Nahar 8 March 2013

The representative of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA), Jean Mrad, convened a press conference yesterday during which he introduced the new MOSA information program entitled "7ala to target the poorest families" and which is being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank within the framework of the social action plan SAP put in place by the Lebanese government back in May 2006 during the Paris 3 conference.  Mrad added that this new program will help the government in rationalising support by adopting an information system which determines the poverty level of families and assess their socio economic situation through a combination of some 62 indicators drawn from a representative of each family while bypassing income levels. He went on to explain that income per se cannot be used as a sufficient indication of family wellbeing in a country like Lebanon.  Mrad added that the project adopts a social and economic assessment of every family according to an objective and transparent methodology which is calculated numerically by the programme and thus gives priority to families suffering from difficult social and economic circumstances.
According to the MOSA official, families wishing to adhere to the programme should submit an application at the MOSA social development centres in the areas where they live.  Following that, social investigator will visit the family to fill out a questionnaire to gather more information.  Mrad also noted that assistance to families will be drawn from the Government budget allocation to the programme and which total USD 28.2 million for the period extending between 2012 and 2014.
Source: Al-Akhbar, Al-Mustaqbal 13 March 2014

An Nahar newspaper published yesterday a report on the rights of the different kinds of vulnerable workers in Lebanon especially those whose rights are violated on a daily basis.  The report concludes by raising doubts on the intentions of NGOs whose concerns focus entirely on women migrant workers.  According to lawyer Rami Aoun, there are more than 40000 Egyptian workers in Lebanon of whom only 17000 work legally with residency and work permits whilst others work illegally on the black market, mostly in petrol stations.  The Lebanese Observatory for the Rights of Workers highlighted the state of discrimination against a large number of Sudanese workers in addition to their plight with the UNHCR and with security forces, also noting the continuous aggressions against Syrian workers and their frequent accusations of various ills.
On the other hand, the current Minister of Labor, Sejaan Azzi, noted after his meeting with Philippine Ambassador, Leah Ruiz, that Lebanon is ready to facilitate the work of Philippine houseworkers whilst respecting and protecting their rights against trafficking, and in accordance with standards of the ILO and the International Human Rights Conventions and the Lebanese Labor Law.  He asked the Philippines to lift its ban on travel of its national workers to Lebanon.  Azzi refused, however, that migrant workers are given privileges that are over and beyond those of Lebanese workers (!?).  Although the Nahar report highlights the plight of migrant workers and points out to the exploitation by employers including long working hours, refusing to pay salaries and other practices that violate rights, the report nevertheless wondered why some NGOs do focus solely on supporting migrant women workers.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Safir, Al-Diyar 12 February 2014

Afaaq Association organised yesterday a meeting to discuss prospects for protecting and developing the growing of olive trees in Wadi Taym area, and held at the Kamal Jumblatt Cultural and Social Centre in Dahr Al-A7mar in Rashayya caza.
At the end of the meeting, the participants issued a recommendation paper which highlighted the importance of olive trees that covers 25% of total agricultural lands. The recommendations included the following:: introducing a tax of 8000 LBP/per liter of imported olive oil, commit the Lebanese army and welfare associations partners of MOSA to buy Lebanese olive oil for their consumption, encouraging municipalities to actively engage in the development of this sector, introduce measures that impose on merchants the clear display of the country origin of foreign olive oil intended for domestic consumption , finally, to impose on owners of oil pressing units the issuing of quality and quantity certificates for all quantities of olive oil processed in their units.
Source: Al-Safir, Al-Diyar 12 March 2014

The new Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Hajj Hassan, received the day before yesterday from the Delegation of the North Metn Industrialists a memorandum including their demands submitted to the Ministry for quite sometime ago and which are believed to be beneficial to the economy and the local industry.  Hajj Hassan stressed during the meeting the importance of increased investment in industrial zones.  He noted that what is needed from the Gathering of North Metn Industrialists is that they submit a dossier on this matter for the perusal of the Ministry of Industry and so that it is able to follow it up with other relevant ministries, public offices and concerned municipalities. The Minister disclosed that he has just signed a memorandum relevant to the industrial zone in Chekka.
The demands of the North Metn industrialists include the following:

1. A full waiver on income tax for all the products in this area and as per the practices in developed countries as this will encourage export and will attract foreign investments;
2. Creating a fund to subsidize the cost of fuel for high consumption factories which can be financed through the imposition of fees on foreign goods dumped in the local markets.
3. Coordinating with the relevant authorities the maintenance and refurbishment of the infrastructure in areas witnessing growth but where public services are still weak
4. Work with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to create permanent civil defense centers in industrial zones equipped with the needed human and human resources to fight factory fires
5. Work with local urban planning authorities to raise the investment factor in industrial zones especially given the rise in the price of real estate and given the limited availability of qualified industrial zones able to absorb new investments
6. Work with the Ministry of Energy to allow industrial zones to produce their own electrical energy and to rotate its production amongst industrialists during working hours and with citizens after peak industrial hours which is likely to diminish the cost of energy borne by industrialists and decrease the pressure on the Lebanese Electricity Company

Source: Al-Safir, Al-Diyar 11 March 2014

Celebrations continue in commemoration of International Women’s Day.  In Saida, young women and men from the association of Literature and Culture organized a campaign to offer “one thousand roses to one thousand women’ all of whom are “housewives” and workers in the old souks of the city.  The youth group organized checkpoints and handed in their roses to women passersby with cards inscribed with the following “congratulations for women’s day, yes for women’s freedom, no for violence, no for the exploitation of working women, yes for the right of women to transmit their nationality to their children”.

With the International Women’s Day coinciding with earth day, the Programme for Women’s Studies advertised an upcoming conference on March 13th entitled “Palestinian Women against Occupation”.  In addition, the general Union of Palestinian Women organized in Al Bass camp a demonstration with a large participation of women in addition to local leaders.

The Association for the Care of Martyrs organized a celebration for its women staff.  The president of the Association, Intissar al Wazir, praised the pioneer role played by Palestinian women in the struggle, side by side with men, against occupation as well as her contribution in institution building and in developing their society and the achievements made so far although the road ahead is still long to reach full rights and equality with men.

Finally, and as per its annual tradition, the Association of USSR graduates in Lebanon organized an event attended by hundreds of graduated from universities and Russia and Ukraine.  The event was attended by Russian and Ukrainian Ambassadors in Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin and Vladimir Koval in addition to social, political and media figures.  Ambassador Zasypkin wished peace and prosperity for women in Lebanon and the world.

Assafir and Al Mustqbal 11 March 2014