Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BEIRUT843
2009-07-27 12:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Beirut
Cable title:  

LEBANON: JOB CREATION IS PRIORITY FOR PM-ELECT (ECONOMIC

Tags:  ECON EFIN EIND ETRD EWWT KIPR KFLU PGOV LE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1118
RR RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHLB #0843/01 2081253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271253Z JUL 09 ZDS ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5418
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000843 

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (FINAL PARAGRAPH NUMBER)

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND EEB/IFD/ODF
STATE PASS USTR FRANCESCKI
STATE PASS USAID LAUDATO/NANDY/SCOTT
TREASURY FOR PARODI/BLEIWEISS/AHERN
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN EIND ETRD EWWT KIPR KFLU PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: JOB CREATION IS PRIORITY FOR PM-ELECT (ECONOMIC
WEEK IN REVIEW, JULY 20 - 26, 2009)

BEIRUT 00000843 001.2 OF 002


CONTENTS
--------

-- PM-ELECT'S PRIORITY IS JOB CREATION
-- USTR COMMENDS LEBANON FOR DEALING WITH CABLE PIRACY
-- CARETAKER MINISTER BACKS TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY; MARITIME
INSTITUTE IN THE WORKS
-- WORKSHOP ON COUNTERFEIT GOODS OPENS IN BEIRUT; CALLS FOR
SPECIALIZED IP COURTS
-- MEDICAL TOURISM ON THE RISE IN 2009-2011
-- FCS AND ARAB ICT ASSOCIATIONS SIGN MOU
-- SWINE FLU CASES REACH 105

PM ELECT'S PRIORITY
IS JOB CREATION
-------------------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000843

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (FINAL PARAGRAPH NUMBER)

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR NEA/ELA AND EEB/IFD/ODF
STATE PASS USTR FRANCESCKI
STATE PASS USAID LAUDATO/NANDY/SCOTT
TREASURY FOR PARODI/BLEIWEISS/AHERN
USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN EIND ETRD EWWT KIPR KFLU PGOV LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: JOB CREATION IS PRIORITY FOR PM-ELECT (ECONOMIC
WEEK IN REVIEW, JULY 20 - 26, 2009)

BEIRUT 00000843 001.2 OF 002


CONTENTS
--------------

-- PM-ELECT'S PRIORITY IS JOB CREATION
-- USTR COMMENDS LEBANON FOR DEALING WITH CABLE PIRACY
-- CARETAKER MINISTER BACKS TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY; MARITIME
INSTITUTE IN THE WORKS
-- WORKSHOP ON COUNTERFEIT GOODS OPENS IN BEIRUT; CALLS FOR
SPECIALIZED IP COURTS
-- MEDICAL TOURISM ON THE RISE IN 2009-2011
-- FCS AND ARAB ICT ASSOCIATIONS SIGN MOU
-- SWINE FLU CASES REACH 105

PM ELECT'S PRIORITY
IS JOB CREATION
--------------


1. (SBU) Senior economic advisor to PM-elect Saad Hariri and
potential finance minister in the next cabinet, Dr. Nadim Munla,
said Hariri plans to focus on job creation and to enact a program
creating at least 200,000 jobs over the next five years. Munla said
on July 21 that Hariri was considering establishing a joint
public/private equity fund of about $500 million with job creation
as the main criteria for equity participation. The PM-elect was
also considering setting up offices to help SMEs draft proposals to
borrow from financial institutions.


2. (SBU) Munla said the timing was wrong for telecom privatization,
noting that privatization proceeds would only reduce public debt by
10%. He stressed that the GOL should reduce debt by increasing the
size of the economy. While government sources forecast a 6% growth
in 2009, Munla expects growth to reach 8-10%. (Note: Munla's
forecast was based on estimates that $1 billion - mostly inflows -
was spent during the parliamentary elections, in addition to a
booming tourism season. End note.)

USTR COMMENDS LEBANON FOR
COMBATTING CABLE PIRACY

--------------


3. (SBU) During a July 23 conference call with USTR, DOS, and
Lebanese public sector officials on Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR)-related steps required for Lebanon's accession to the World
Trade Organization (WTO),USTR commended Lebanon's progress in
fighting cable piracy and legitimizing cable operators. USTR
highlighted the need for Lebanon to provide IPR-related statistics
on seizures of counterfeit goods by the police and customs and
judicial cases to be better able to quantify Lebanon's progress in
protecting IP.


4. (SBU) During the conference call, Judge and IPR expert Nassib
Elia, quoting his own figures, said that in 2008, 482 IP cases were
brought to the courts in Lebanon, compared to 381 in 2007. Elia and
Colonel Walid Habr from Lebanese Customs expected more cases in
2009, but Habr noted that rights holders could do more to alert
enforcement authorities of infringing material.

NEW TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
NECESSARY; MARITIME INSTITUTE
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
--------------


5. (U) Caretaker Minister of Transportation Ghazi Aridi July 20
called on the incoming government to endorse the ministry's
transportation strategy. The strategy includes ways to deal with
Lebanon's severe traffic problems and is backed by the entire
transportation sector, regardless of political affiliation, Aridi
said. Separately, director general of the Ministry of
Transportation Abdel Hafiz Kayssi noted that work has already
started on the construction of a Maritime Institute in Batroun
(north Lebanon). The institute will help Lebanon further develop
its maritime sector and become a hub for maritime training in the
region; the project is estimated to cost around $2.5 million.

BEIRUT WORKSHOP ON COUNTERFEIT GOODS
CALLS FOR SPECIALIZED IP COURTS
--------------


6. (U) On July 23, the Institute of Finance, in collaboration with

BEIRUT 00000843 002.3 OF 002


the Brand Protection Group (BPG),launched an eight-week workshop on
counterfeit and fake goods. Representatives of private company
members of the Brand Protection Group (in industries including
pharmaceuticals, IT, cosmetics, clothing, cars, and luxury goods)
will help enforcement officials identify fake and counterfeit
products. Participants include Lebanese Customs, the Internal
Security Forces (ISF),and inspectors from the Consumer Protection
Department at the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MOET).


7. (U) During the opening ceremony, speakers stressed the need for
greater public awareness on the importance of Intellectual Property
Rights (IPR) and the risks associated with counterfeit and fake
goods, but commended the efforts of enforcement officials in recent
years. Speakers argued that specialized IP courts were necessary
for tougher sentences and quicker court procedures for infringers.


MEDICAL TOURISM ON
THE RISE IN 2009-2011
--------------


8. (U) According to a report by the Investment Development Authority
of Lebanon (IDAL),medical tourism in Lebanon is expected to
increase by 30% in 2009-2011 and generate revenues of around $1.2
billion. Acting Director of the American University Hospital (AUH)
Dr. Marina Hage said visitors take advantage of Lebanon's low costs
and professional doctors for general surgeries, medical treatments,
diagnosis, and clinical consultations, as well as plastic surgery.
According to President of the syndicate of hospitals Suleiman
Haroun, the number of medical tourists, mainly Lebanese immigrants
and Arabs from the Gulf, has risen in the past two years. If the
trend continues, Lebanon may soon reclaim its title from the 1970's
of "hospital of the Middle East."

FCS AND ARAB ICT
ASSOCIATIONS SIGN MOU
--------------


9. (SBU) On July 15, the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) and
the Union of Arab ICT Associations (IJMA3) based in Beirut, signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote information and
communication technology (ICT) between the U.S. and MENA region.
Both parties will organize the MENA ICT Week 2009 Conference in
Bahrain in November to promote ICT trade.

SWINE FLU CASES
REACH 105
--------------


10. (U) According to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH),the
number of swine flu cases reached 105, up from 82 last week. The
MOPH expects the number of cases to rise, as more people visit
Lebanon during the summer holidays. No deaths have been attributed
to the flu in Lebanon.

HERBOL