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National industry to be given preference in sate procurements & bids

19-3-2019

The prime minister Saad Hariri headed yesterday a meeting to discuss national industry, in the presence of industry minister, Wael Abu Faour. The latter confirmed after the meeting that the various decrees and directives issued earlier requiring all public departments and institutions to give preference to domestic products have not been executed. Abu Faour stressed that Hariri has pledged to give preference to Lebanese production in all bids and state procurements as an indirect way to support national industry and stimulate the creation jobs that will contribute to the social and economic development. Abu Faour also revealed that a circular by the prime minister will be released in a couple of days asking all public departments holding tenders and purchases to comply by above directive. On land export activity via Syrian territory, Abu Faour pointed to a real political snag impeding it, and mentioning the high cost of export. He said he officially requested the council of ministers to approve the allocated subsidies for industrial products similar to the sum earmarked earlier to agricultural exports. In the same vein, the board of the Lebanese Industrialists Association (LIA), chaired by Fadi Gemayel, discussed during an urgent meeting on March 17 the industrial situation in light of the delay in implementing the demands of local industrialists which negatively impacted the size of transactions. Following the meeting, participants decided to declare a state of industrial emergency, during a press conference on March 27. They also agreed to form a committee of MPs from the industry world and from LIA board to determine the priorities to be raised in the conference. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, March 19, 2019)

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Travel and tourism fair in Beirut and craft fair in Zuk Mkhail

19-3-2019

Within the framework to promote tourism in the country, the ministry of tourism Avedis Guidanian launched yesterday the International Travel & Tourism Fair, ITM Beirut at Seaside Arena which will run from March 19 to March 21. During a press conference at the premises of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber, Guidanian described the developments in the tourism sector as huge and revolutionary in terms of the positive revenues the industry is reaping. He hoped 2019 will be even better with the anticipated arrival of GCC and European tourists after lifting the ban on visiting Lebanon. On the other hand, the Kesrerwan coordination sector of the Lebanese Forces Party inaugurated on March 15, the craft fair at Espace 2000 in Zuk Mkhail. The three-day show embraced 53 pavilions showcasing local foods, paintings, gadgets, books and cosmetics. During the opening, the head of the LF Coordinating Office for Activating the Role of Women, Rula Ghanem Bawari, emphasized the Party’s efforts to empower women despite challenges and hitches in this regard. The craft fair, she said, is but a small part of an all-out agenda aimed to encourage the involvement of women and using their capacities at various levels and in different fields. For his part, LF MP Shawki Dakash said the industry is the nerve of the national economy, stressing, that the country will not recover in the absence of a robust domestic production. (Al Diyar, March 17, 19, 2019)

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YWCA former presidents honored

19-3-2019

The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Lebanon, marked the International Women’s Day on March 8 with a “Greetings to the YWCA former presidents in Lebanon’ ceremony. The honored presidents in chronological order from 1962 are: Leila Dacruz, Marcel Aoun Khoury, Aida Fares, Souad Katoul, Souad Shehadeh, Maha Nasr Haddad, Amal Shbeir, Nadera Najm. YWCA also honored the heads of association branches and they are: Ibtisam Abu Hanna (Ablah branch), Edi Lamaa (Shiyah), Arlette Medlej (Hadath), Amal Shami (Tripoli), Gitta Jermanus (Byblos Jbeil) and Majida Khoury (Marjey3oon). On the occasion, president Rula Khoury greeted women on their day, pointing out that the honorees have contributed to improving their communities through constructive initiatives to this end, in line with the YWCA’s motto ‘Serve each other’. They volunteered and devoted time and energy and they are carrying on, she said. Khoury noted that globally, women have struggled to seize a place in society and arrived to where they are today. Lebanese women, on the other hand, are still toiling, Khoury maintained, commending the development achieved with the appointment of four women ministers in the new cabinet. (An Nahar, March 13, 2019)

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Lebanon honored at Food Expo 2019 in Greece

19-3-2019

The general director of the ministry of trade and economy, Alia Abbas, jointly with the Greek minister of rural development, inaugurated on Saturday the 3-day Food Expo 2019 in Greece. Lebanon was honored for the first time at one of most prestigious food fairs in south east Europe and one of the prominent platforms in the Mediterranean food and beverages sector. More than 11 Lebanese businesses were exhibiting at Lebanon’s pavilion which stretched on an area of 115 square meter, according to a statement by the Lebanese embassy in Athens. In cooperation with the Lebanese embassy in Greece, and within the economic diplomacy framework, the economy ministry seeks to increase the competitiveness of the Lebanese wines and food products and increase exports to the Greek, Mediterranean and European markets, the statement said. (Al Mustaqbal, March 19, 2019)
 

Previous related news: 
Lebanon showcases fruits in Germany and food in Beirut festival
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Lebanon at Seoul 2018 Tourism and Culinary Festival

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Lebanese ambassador to Austria accused of migrant worker mistreatment

18-3-2019

On March 16, Al Akhbar newspaper reported the news aired on Austrian media under, ‘New slavery in Vienna’. The news is about a diplomat from a Middle East country who mistreated migrant women domestic workers from the Ethiopian and Philippino nationalities working at his house. The diplomat, according to the news, is the Lebanese ambassador to Vienna, Ibrahim Assaf, who, with his wife, exploited the workers, treating them as slaves, without least respect to their privacy. The girls, the news went on to say, were forced to work all day without time for rest or days off. They were not even paid for their extra hours or for their monthly salary. The three workers reportedly fled the diplomat’s house on January 13 and took refuge in the Austrian foreign ministry, which confirmed the news. Meanwhile, LEFO, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, is following up the case. In Beirut, the Austrian foreign ministry faced Assaf with the accusations, but his diplomatic immunity exempted him from the charges. Al Akhbar for its part, did not anticipate any developments on the matter, for the Austrian mission to Beirut mentioned only the fact that the ambassador did not pay for the overtime and nothing else. (Al Akhbar, March 16, 2019)

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Training on dairy production in Tripoli to empower women

18-3-2019

In collaboration with Care International, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and the North organized targeted training sessions on dairy making. The workshops were aimed to empower women professionally, economically and socially, and to create opportunities that help them refine their work life and facilitate their direct access to the labor market. This enables them to play a distinctive role that enhances their status in the entrepreneurship world. During the launch ceremony, Chamber chief, Tufic Daboosi, said the courses were highly professional and of great importance as they help provide decent work for women with different social, economic and family backgrounds, particularly in rural communities where the dairy products are ample. (Al Diyar, March 18, 2019)

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Women are capable of changing the political scene in Lebanon

18-3-2019

The minister of interior, Raya Hassan, told An Nahar newspaper that, given the flaws in parliamentary or municipal elections in Lebanon, she looks forward to an all-inclusive workshop that addresses the matter, particularly in the municipal area. Municipal elections should be reconsidered, and “I will seek to enforce a female representation quota to this effect,” Hassan maintained. The minister was speaking during her participation in a ceremony on March 16 hosted by the Regie to distribute prizes on winners of the annual photography competition ‘Manchar Souwar’ with focus on women working in the tobacco agriculture. Hassan stressed that the comeback of the Lebanese woman, in the political field, was not an embellishment, in fact, the scene has changed. Women now have their influence, effective role and balanced presence, and they are capable of changing the scene of politics in the country, Hassan boasted. To note, the Regie received some 800 photos to take part in the competition submitted by around 150 participants, of which 34 were shortlisted for the finals. Winning photos were documented in a special booklet. Recalling, Lisa Terezian received the Jury Prize for the best picture and USD 5,000, while the second USD 3,000 prize went to Ahlam Jaber, in addition to a professional camera for both winners. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, March 16, 17, 2019

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LGBT health week: Medical care without discrimination

18-3-2019

For the third consecutive year, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) organized the LGBT Health Week 2019 from March 12 until March 17 under the slogan, ‘Excellence without discrimination’. The aim of the event is improving the level of sexual healthcare and provision of medical care for every patient, in particular marginalized groups, young people and seniors, without discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. On the subject, the head of LebMASH, Shadi Ibrahim, said to date there are physicians, nurses, psychiatrists and even some hospitals who refuse to treat or provide medical services for LGBT persons. He cited surveys covering a group of Lebanese doctors, which revealed that 60% of respondents still believe homosexuality is a disease, attributing the reason not only to societal misconceptions which nurture the community including doctors, but also to the absence of disciplines or courses on the LGBT community in many universities. Ibrahim explained, that to face the harsh reality, his association developed the LebGuide on its website, which contains contact info of doctors and therapists under ‘Friends for Diversity’. The event addressed a number of issues, including palliative care in Lebanese prisons and the challenges healthcare providers face, in addition to the provision of sustainable care for marginalized populations and enhancing the rights of minorities in palliative care. On the sidelines, a workshop was held for medicine, nursing, psychology and social counselling students to this end. (Al Akhbar, March 18, 2019)

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Minister announces from Berlin a plan to boost tourism

15-3-2019

The minister of tourism Avedis Guidanian inaugurated on March 12th the Lebanese pavilion at the Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (MITT) which gathers around 54 countries and a large number of experts and professionals in the industry. On the sidelines of the event, a cooperation agreement was signed between Lebanon and Russia to organize tours between the two countries. Also, during his presence in Moscow, Guidanian met with the Cypriot minister of tourism and discussed ways to consolidate tourism relations. The minister also met with the head of the Federal Russian Agency for Tourism, and stressed Lebanon’s dependence on the Russian tourism market, expressing readiness on his part to facilitate the arrival of Russian tourists into the country. The tourism minister who also attended the 53rd edition of the World Tourism Exchange in Berlin on March 7, told reporters that Lebanon is qualified to attract tourists more than it currently accommodates. He declared his intention to launch a tourism plan this coming April that draws tourists from around the globe. In the same vein, An Nahar newspaper wrote on March 13, that after the decline in tourism activity for years, Lebanon seems to be just around the corner for the revival of the golden seasons of tourism seen in 2010. Then, the number of visitors reached a peak of 2,167,989 persons with a recorded revenue of USD 8.3 billion. The return of GCC tourists is also imminent this year, particularly Saudis, after their governments lifted the embargo on travelling to Lebanon. For his part, the head of the Tourism Committee at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) pressed for the development of the infrastructure and provision of competitive prices and tourism packages to maintain a sustainable tourism industry and touristic institutions. (Al Diyar, An Nahar, March 8, 13, 14, 2019)

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Claudine Aoun from New York: Priority to create legal environment for protection of women

15-3-2019

The head of the Supreme Council of Arab Women Organization (AWO), Claudine Aoun Rukuz, stressed yesterday the keenness of the Lebanese state, led by President Michel Aoun, to advance the country through an equal participation of men and women for a better society, socially, economically and politically. Aoun, who also heads the National Commission of Lebanese Women (NCLW), reiterated the new cabinet’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and to the National Strategy for Women in Lebanon drafted by NCLW. Aoun, who was speaking during the UN General Assembly’s 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York, maintained that the said strategy includes the provision of health and education services, fighting poverty and promoting women’s participation in the economic and political life. And most importantly, it calls for the provision of a regulatory, legislative and legal environment to the end of the social protection of women. On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, and in collaboration with the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Children and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the General Secretariat of the Lebanese Parliament organized a ceremony under the theme, ‘Parliaments for Women’. On the occasion, MP Enaya Ezzidine, explained that the advancement of women is closely related to the progress made on the level of development. Women empowerment requires the introduction of radical changes in the political, economic, social and cultural environments that often contribute to their marginalization, Ezzidine said, adding that such changes cannot be brought about without establishing the principle of partnership first. Ezzidine concluded by saying that, as women are half the society, any development that does not involve them is at risk. (Al Mustaqbal, March 15, 2019)

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