Social Affairs

1. Development Services Centers:
   1. Purchasing of medicines.
   2. Undertaking maintenance works in 11 centers: Qartaba, Aqoura, Sawaneh, Jounieh, Ras Baalbek, Hay al-Sellom, Sarafand, Gharifa, Andaqt, Kfarfaqoud, Ehmej, and Bhamdoun al-Dayaa.
   3. Creating new service centers in Akkar, Zahle. Baalbeck, Metn, Hermel, Chouf and Aley.
   4. Equipping 9 dental services centers in agreement with and supervision from the Lebanese University.
   5. Granting religious institutions the sum of 1.6 billion LBP for development projects.
   6. Making donations to rehabilitate development services centers in the governorates of the North and Akkar and equipped several centers.
   7. Mechanizing the ministry and linking it with development services centers.
2. Implementation of 328 development projects during the year 2008.
3. Project targeting poor families in Lebanon.
4. Introducing the school integration project for students who suffer from school delays funded by the Italian government.
5. Completing maintenance and restoration work in the main center of The Lebanese Professional House.
6. Forming the National Authority for the elderly and following up on the work of the Higher Council for Childhood and restructuring the National Voluntary Work Authority.
7. The Public Housing Corporation
   1. Completing the preparation of a draft decree defining ownership’s in the Public Housing Corporation which was suspended since 1997.
   2. Completing the merging and sorting works of the National Reconstruction Authority’s properties, and the final ownership took place in 2008 for about 200 properties.
   3. Deciding on 6135 housing loans in 2008 (amounting for about 506 billion Lebanese pounds through 27 Lebanese banks).
   4. Approving 4,536 applications out of 5,279 applications submitted in 2009.
8. Forming the National Commission for the Disabled Affairs, forming its sub-committees, and raising the ministry’s contribution to the cost of the disabled paramedics in the institutions contracting with the ministry.
9. Eliminating fictitious rents (annual savings of 250 million LBP).
10. Undertaking several corrective measures
    1. Evacuating centers and warehouses and renting on better terms.
    2. Determining doctors’ specialties and the number of visits in joint projects.
    3. Organizing a new service board competition to fill some vacancies.
    4. Completing contribution mechanisms with the private sector.
    5. Punishing violations and referring files to the central inspection.
11. Signing and preparing several international agreements and protocols
    1. A memorandum of understanding with the Italian INTERSOS on civil society’s role in local development.
    2. An agreement for the rehabilitation of development services centers in the governorates of the South and Nabatiyeh.
    3. A protocol on the disabled with the French Ministry of Social Affairs.
    4. A protocol for the German government to provide assistance in the field of vocational training for the disabled as well as to offer special equipment for the disabled.
    5. A cooperation agreement between the Ministries of Social Affairs in Lebanon and Iran and a cooperation protocol for the carpet industry.