by Malek el Khazen:  Many Lebanese companies that receive all fresh dollars and accept only fresh dollars are still paying their employees in Lebanese pounds. It’s a shame. Occasionally, they pay half of the salary in Fresh Dollars and the other half in Liras or “lollars”. Why is that? We can easily blame our government for failures and corruption. The fact that these employees are still paid in “liras” is a complete travesty. Stop pointing the fingers at the government, you are no better if you are getting paid in fresh dollars and are not paying your employees in fresh dollars. if we don’t start at the micro level and reject taking advantage of the new financial situation! You can begin by yourself. 

by watchdogsgazette.com  — Jad El Dilati – The only thing that an employer needs to do in modern-day Lebanon to attract job seekers is to write “paid in fresh dollars” in the job’s description, no matter how low the amount of dollars is. At a time when the country faces one of the world’s worst financial crises since the 19th century according to the World Bank when 50% of the country’s population is living below the poverty line, and with the unemployment rate on a sharp rise, finding a job that pays in fresh dollars, cash dollars, in Lebanon feels like winning the lottery. This is an alarming illusion. To understand why getting paid in fresh dollars today feels like a privilege, one has to take a step back and look at the general image existing in Lebanon. The type of salary that you earn comes down to what sector you work in. People working in the public sector, including teachers in public schools, security personnel, army members, and any job funded by the state, get paid in Lebanese liras (LBP).

Intra-sector differences arise among the private sector where most of the people working in private companies still get paid in Lebanese liras especially if the company is based in Lebanon. However, a good portion of private companies are paying their employees either a full salary or part of a full salary in fresh USD. Those companies are mainly tech companies who have foreign customers, companies that provide services to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and mostly any company that exports because those have become exceedingly scarce. Some companies that are currently paying their employees in USD include KPMG and PWC, both foreign. Almost all self-employed individuals also earn wages in LBP. Most Lebanese citizens work in the first two mentioned sectors or are self-employed, and thus earn their salaries in LBP. 95% of them do. This means that, if you are a person residing in Lebanon, earning fresh US dollars every month, at a time where one US dollar is worth 30,000 LBP, you are better off than 95% of the population. Amidst the continuous devaluation of the local currency, and the increasing difficulty in finding actual US dollar bills, earning fresh dollars seems like a prerogative. This feeling of privilege paved the path towards the savage exploitation of the Lebanese working class that is being witnessed today.

“Must-haves: 2 years of experience in business, 2 years of experience in marketing, experience in management, 4 years of business development experience. Expected salary: 200 fresh USD/ month!” An exclamation point is always added to make the low salaries look appealing. This was an ad for a telesales and marketing managerial full-time position for a company in Beirut that I saw on LinkedIn after less than a minute of scrolling. To put into perspective how substandard this salary is, it is necessary to compare it with the salary associated with the same job in other countries on one hand, and with the Lebanese minimum wage on the other hand while taking into account Lebanon’s current miserable conditions. Aِ marketing manager in the United States with this many years of experience would earn $126,560 a year which means they would be earning a monthly salary of $10,546. Thus, a marketing manager working in the United States would be earning 52 times the amount that an identical manager would be earning here. Certainly, one cannot compare the size of the Lebanese and the American economies. However, the private company offering the position in Beirut is run by a Lebanese expat whose revenue is entirely in “fresh dollars” because the company’s finances are all managed abroad. This implies that this employer is familiar with the market of such a job, is able to raise the wages to meet even a quarter of what should be earned yet chooses not to since they are well aware of the desperate need for fresh USD today.

NNA – Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, presided this morning over the annual Mass service devoted to the souls of the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance, held at “Our Lady of Ilige” Church in the town of Mayfouk – Al-Qattara – Jbeil district. In his homily, the Patriarch called for the formation of an […]

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese celebrated at home and abroad on Thursday, despite their homeland’s crises, as they woke up to the news that local female dance troop Mayyas had won the America’s Got Talent competition on U.S. television, bagging a $1 million prize. “We did it! Lebanon, this one’s for you,” the group posted on […]

by egypttoday.com — BEIRUT – Lebanese investors are interested in doing business in Egypt, said chairman of the Lebanese economic entities Mohamed Shuqair Sunday. Lebanese investments are strong and the Egyptian market is very promising, Shuqair said in statements to MENA before leading a delegation to the Egyptian-Lebanese business forum in Cairo earlier today. Shuqair […]

By Najia Hassari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s security services seized over 1 million Captagon pills hidden in a shipment of grapes at Beirut port, it was announced on Saturday. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said that the illicit haul was heading to Kuwait via Sudan, and that investigations are underway to “pursue the dealers.” Lebanese authorities insist they have stepped up efforts to combat the illegal trade in Captagon after Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, issued warnings about a rise in the number of attempts to smuggle the stimulant. In 2021, the Kingdom suspended fruit and vegetable imports from Lebanon after seizing more than 5 million Captagon pills hidden in a shipment of pomegranate bound for the country. Authorities said that in the past six years, there have been attempts to smuggle up to 600 million narcotic pills from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, calm returned to Lebanese streets after at least five customers using pellet guns or toy weapons stormed banks across the cash-strapped country on Friday demanding access to withheld savings.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon said it was closing all branches for three days to protest against the attacks and protect banking staff. However, there are fears of widening chaos if protesters take to the streets following the banks’ closure next week. One political observer, who declined to be named, said: “Depositors are storming banks, people are carrying weapons, individual fights are turning into armed clashes, while families and clans are firing at each other in rural areas, even in villages affiliated with Hezbollah.” Security services are all but powerless to act because their members are “suffering under the economic collapse just like everyone else,” the observer said. In an already febrile atmosphere, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah condemned a recent amendment in the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force deployed along the border with Israel.

by AFP — The choreographer leading a Lebanese dance troupe that shot to fame by winning the ‘America’s Got Talent’ TV contest castigated Lebanese politicians and called for revolution upon landing back in Beirut Friday. Dozens of relatives offered the Mayyas troupe flowers at Beirut airport while thousands of Lebanese were glued to their televisions to catch a glimpse of the performers who filled them with pride and joy in a country wrecked by nearly three years of economic crisis. “We don’t need you (politicians), Mayyas made Lebanon proud without your help” choreographer Nadim Cherfan told AFP at Beirut’s airport, echoing the frustration of many Lebanese who blame the political class for the country’s woes. His comment came as a snub to top Lebanese politicians who had praised the group — including the country’s president and prime minister.

Amid Lebanon’s worst-ever economic crisis, the national currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value on the black market since 2019 while poverty and unemployment have soared. In a reflection of deep popular discontent, five banks were stormed Friday by depositors seeking to unlock savings frozen in the banking system after the economy crumbled. “People should break all the banks, shake up the country and turn the table over politicians’ heads,” Cherfan said. Mayyas this week snatched a $1 million prize and the chance to headline a Las Vegas show for their extravagant television performance featuring belly dancing, feather fans and white orbs of light. Judges and viewers hailed the troupe for their hypnotic and mesmerising performances — despite enduring hardships at home that include long daily power cuts.

By Elsa Maishman — bbc.com — Banks in Lebanon will close for three days next week after a string of raids by customers demanding access to their frozen savings. A woman armed with a toy gun staged a hold-up at a bank on Wednesday to pay for family medical bills. Several copycat raids around the country have followed, with reports of at least five on Friday. Security forces were deployed to a bank in the capital Beirut as a crowd gathered during one such attempt. Details of the situation at the Blom Bank branch are unclear.

Witnesses told AFP that a shop owner struggling to pay debts had demanded access to his savings, but was thought to be unarmed. He was locked inside the bank with police officers, they said. Lebanon is in a severe economic crisis, with more than 80% of the population struggling to afford food and medicine. Banks have limited withdrawals of dollars since 2019, when the value of the Lebanese pound plummeted and inflation soared. A woman held staff hostage at a bank in Beirut on Wednesday, saying she needed to withdraw savings to pay for her sister’s cancer treatment. She left with $13,000 (£11,000). It is not clear if she was arrested. In one similar event on Friday, a man threatened staff at a bank in Ghaziyeh with a gun, which may have been a toy. He was given $19,000 (£16,500), but turned himself in to police as a crowd gathered outside the bank to support him. As the number of raids snowballed on Friday, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi called for an emergency meeting. Banks will close for three days from Monday, the Association of Banks in Lebanon said. The raids have mostly drawn support from the general public, and have been seen as acts of desperation by people who do not have criminal records and are trying to settle bills.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

ليس الغيابُ أن تغادرَ هذا العالم، بل أنْ يُغادرَك الناسُ، حيًّا كنتَ في عَجقةِ الحياةِ، أو ميتًا في سكينةِ ملكوتِ السماوات. الأُلفَةُ هي البقاءُ، والرِفقةُ هي الأزَلُ. ومراسِمُ الغيابِ، بالتالي، احتفالٌ مَجازِيٌّ لأخْذِ العلم. هذا المفهومُ يُعطي عبارةَ “بشير حيٌّ فينا” أبعادَها الفلسفيّةَ والوِجدانيّة. وبشير “الحيُّ فينا” صار بعدَ أربعينَ سنةً ذخيرةً وطنيّةً لكلِّ مُحبّيه؛ إليها يَتوجَّهون كلّما لاحَ خَطْبٌ أو جَفَّ نَبعُ القادةِ أو تاقوا إلى مجدٍ مَليح. لا يُصبحُ إنسانٌ ذخيرةَ شعبٍ، مهما كان مقامُه المدنيُّ أو الدينيُّ، ما لم يَتحَلَّ بالوفاءِ وفي حالٍ استثنائيّةٍ استوقَفَت التاريخَ فاصْطَفاها. والّذين يُتابعون التنقيبَ عن ظاهرةِ بشير الجميّل ليَحَسِموا موقفَهم منه، طبيعيٌّ أن يأخذوا وقتَهم، فتحديدُ موقِفٍ من العظماءِ جدليّةٌ تاريخيّةٌ لا تَستقرُّ إلّا بعدَ تفكيرٍ طويلٍ وعميق.

كان لهذه الذخيرةِ أن تَنموَ أكثرَ وتَنتشرَ في مختلَفِ البيئاتِ لو أنّ الّذين احتَضنوا ذكرى بشير الجميّل طَرحوا قضيّتَه من موقِعٍ وطنيٍّ يَتعدّى الحزبيّاتِ والطوائف، ولم يَحصِروا الرجلَ في المرحلةِ التي كان فيها فريقًا، وكانت مليئةً بذنوبِ الحربِ إلى جانبِ إنجازاتِ المقاومةِ العظيمة. فإذا شكّلَ بشير لأنصارِه المباشَرين مثالَ القائدِ المقاوِم، فشَكّلَ للعمومِ نَموذجَ الحاكمِ القويِّ والنزيهِ والإصلاحيِّ والشُجاع. كمُقاوِمٍ انتصَر على أخصامِه، وكحاكِمٍ مُنتخَبٍ انتصر على الفسادِ وغيّرَ ذِهنيّةَ المجتمع، ولو رَدْحًا من الزمن. كان التغييرُ جُزءًا تكوينيًّا في شخصيّةِ بشير الذاتيّة والوطنيّة. وكانت الكرامةُ مِعيارَ علاقتِه بالآخرين. آهٍ لو تَعلمون كَم سفراءَ دولٍ كبرى طردَهم بشير من مكتبِه لأنّهم طرحوا عليه تسوياتٍ على حسابِ لبنان.

this is an opinion article and represents John Gizzi opinion

By John Gizzi — newsmax.com — Forty years ago, on Sept. 14, 1982, the story of Lebanon was brutally upended. Bachir Gemayel, elected as the Middle Eastern nation’s youngest-ever president at 34, and already in take-charge mode, was killed in an explosion that also took the lives of 25 supporters gathered at the headquarters of his Kataeb (Christian) Party. “Better looking than Jesus Christ,” is how American journalist Barbara Newman gushed over the young dynamo who seemed the right person to finally end Lebanon’s turmoil with Israelis, Palestinians, and Syrians.

Like John F. Kennedy, Gemayel is remembered today as a charismatic leader who brought hope and optimism to his country only to be cut down in the prime of his life. Shortly after winning election in August 1982 and before taking office, two-fisted former militia boss Gemayel ordered the Lebanese Army to enter West Beirut and demanded Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Liberation Organization leave Lebanon. Gemayel was seen by President Ronald Reagan and CIA Director William Casey, who called the Lebanese president-elect “a nice Catholic boy,” as a pivotal leader for eventual peace throughout the Middle East. But it was not to be. As a surely shaken Reagan wrote in his diary after receiving confirmation Gemayel was dead: “The Israelis moved into [West] Beirut following assassination of Bachir and fight between leftist Muslims and Lebanese Army. Things changed. “In Beirut, Haddad’s Christian Phalangist militia entered a Palestinian refugee camp and massacred men, women, and children. The Israelis did nothing to prevent or halt it. [Secretary of State] George [Schultz] and I met and agreed upon a blunt statement which he delivered to the Israeli ambassador.” “It is a sad day,” concluded the 40th president, “and one which may very well set our peace effort back.”

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s central bank lifted its remaining subsidies on fuel on Monday, gas station owners said, ending a year-long process of scaling back on the expensive program. The Central Bank over a year ago announced it would gradually lift fuel subsidies, to slow down the draining of its foreign exchange reserves. Fuel subsidies once cost the cash-strapped country some $3 billion annually. Last week, it subsidized just 20 percent of the cost of fuel imports. Lebanon is in the throes of a crippling economic crisis that has plunged three-quarters of its population into poverty and decimated the value of the Lebanese pound against the dollar by around 90 percent. The World Bank has described the collapse as one of the worst in the world in the last 150 years. Now, gas station owners will price fuel at the country’s “parallel market rate” — also known as the black market rate, Gas Station Owners’ Syndicate spokesperson George Brax told The Associated Press.

The local currency is still officially pegged at 1,500 Lebanese pounds to the U.S. dollar, but now trades at about 35,250 pounds at the black market rate. A liter of 95 octane gasoline currently cost just less than a dollar, but topping up the average car costs almost the monthly minimum wage. The black market rate heavily fluctuates with little transparency, possibly risking arbitrary price hikes regardless of global fuel prices. Under the subsidies program, the Central Bank would allow importers to exchange Lebanese pounds for US dollars to fund imports and keep prices stable. However, with Lebanon’s currency devaluation and skyrocketing inflation, gas station owners claimed the stable pricing was not sustainable, while security agencies struggled to crack down on fuel hoarding in warehouses and gas stations.