The Ministry of Labor has issued a decree recalling that certain professions are reserved for Lebanese nationals only, a decision deemed necessary to be recalled due to the economic crisis facing the Land of the Cedars.
According to the text of the ministry
The Minister of Labor,
on the basis of decree n ° 8376 of 10/09/2021 (formation of the government),
on the basis of the law of July 10, 1962 (relating to entry and exit from Lebanon),
on the basis of decree n ° 17561 of 18/9/1964 and its modifications, in particular articles 8 and 9 (regulating the work of foreigners),
on the basis of circular n ° 4/1 of 04/10/2021 (recalling this preference should be given to the Lebanese worker to work in public administrations, institutions, municipalities and banks), in
according to the requirements of the public interest, and taking into account the economic conditions which necessitated a revision of the list of professions whose exercise must be reserved for the Lebanese,
decides the following:
Article 1: Among the jobs and professions that the Ministry of Labor deems necessary to limit to Lebanese citizens only:
1- All jobs of any kind with public administrations, public establishments and municipalities.
2- Professions regulated by law and which restrict the right to practice to those who join the Union of Professions and after having obtained an authorization from the competent authority when necessary (such as: law, engineer, medicine, pharmacy , topographer …).
3- All commercial activities, import and export, wholesale or retail of all types of goods and merchandise.
4- Companies related to tourism trades of all kinds (establishments intended for accommodation, establishments intended for catering, establishments that invest in equipment and constructions of a tourist nature or for tourist purposes, setting up of tourist festivals, travel and tourism agencies and tourist transport) so that the Lebanese are limited to exercising tourism trades, and not Sima: manager of a tourist establishment, receptionist, room attendant, cook, chef, diner, chef and assistant chef specializing in Arabic cuisine, salon employee, maintenance and equipment of tourist establishments, lifeguard, observer and trainer of tourist activities (ski swimming …), piscinist Tourist guide, bus or passenger car driver and other professions related.
5- All companies of whatever nature in the banking, financial, accounting and insurance sectors.
6- Administrative jobs in all its forms, whatever the institution or the company, including: the president of the board of directors, the director, the deputy director, the head of the personnel department, the treasurer, the accountant , the secretary, the clerk, the notary, the archivist – the commercial agent, the commercial agent, the work observer, the business observer, the warehouse keeper, the entry of information, the clerk, the inspector, purchasing agent, quality audit, sales manager, public relations, archivist.
7- Companies linked to the health sector: all companies in pharmacies, parapharmacies, laboratories, clinics, radiology centers, hospitals, eyewear, medical equipment, cosmetic centers, nutritional supplements, psychiatric treatments and nursing work of all kinds.
8- Jobs related to education professions in pre-university, vocational and technical education, including: teacher or teacher, except for teaching foreign languages when necessary, researcher, supervisor, director, management library, coordination of books, nursery school and other work.
9- Jobs related to the media and advertising: advertising design, promotion, advertisements, public relations, broadcaster, journalist and media with the exception of the journalist, program presenter, producer, director, designer, editor, programmer, screenwriter, writer, etc. .
10- In the building and works sector: trade and industry of construction materials, surveying and mapping work, construction customs clearance operations, electrical wiring and industry, installation and maintenance of electrical and lighting networks, laying plasterboard, aluminum, iron, wood, decoration and plumbing, and all work related to construction, monitoring, execution, monitoring and management, unless the employer is a business and the workers are registered in the name of the company and within the limits of the percentages set by the regulations in force.
11- Craft professions not regulated by law, trade union or not, in particular and for example:
– Manufacture and sale of jewelry of all kinds, including precious stones.
– Tailoring, fashion design, sewing, clothing repair, knitting and embroidery, manufacture and trade of clothing.
– Ironing and laundry.
Hairdressing salons for women and men, decoration, embellishment, make-up and all trades related to decoration and embellishment work.
Printing, binding and editing work.
– The work of butchers, manufacture, sale and cooking of all kinds of meats.
– Sea fishing, manufacture and trade of all seafood products
– Manufacture, sale and trade of oriental and western confectionery.
Manufacture, sale and trade and baking of vegetables and fruits and of all kinds of food, including pastries, whether in the form of manakish, pizza, pies, sfiha, or others.
– Manufacturing and trading of dairy products, cheeses and all dairy products.
Manufacture, sale and trade of nuts, dried fruits, coffee and tea.
– Mechanics, forging, painting, electricity, tires, automotive oil spare parts and all moving vehicles.
– At service stations, petrol, diesel and oil change work.
– Forging work of all kinds and painting.
– Manufacture of furniture, upholstery, trade and painting of furniture.
Photography or videography, design of photos and films, and all work related to the sector of photography and artistic production.
Libraries: Sale of stationery and books and photocopying of books and documents.
– Electronic commerce: maintenance, repair, programming, sale and trade: cellular, electrical and telephone devices of all kinds, refrigerated air conditioners, machines of all kinds and computers.
– Maintenance, repair, operation, programming and extension of Internet networks and programming, including programming and management of websites, working in Internet distribution companies, Internet service companies and all work related to this sector.
Maintenance of generators, collection of subscription invoices and electricians.
12- Service trades: the attendant, the guard, the private security, the driver, the delivery man, the receptionist and the customer service representative, the concierge, the workers in the ovens, the salesmen in supermarkets and supermarkets, the factory workers, and cleaners in universities, hospitals, schools and hotels.
13- In general, all the jobs and professions that Lebanese workers are available to fill.
Article Two: Exceptions:
1- Palestinians born on Lebanese territory and officially registered in the registers of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, and foreigners whose mother is Lebanese or married to a Lebanese woman, are excluded from the provisions of article 1 , and people born in Lebanon holding a Maktoumi card, in compliance with the special conditions of professions organized by law.
2- It is up to the Minister to grant a work permit to a third category foreign worker, and by way of derogation from the principle of restriction of professions to Lebanese in the event of the absence of available Lebanese, provided that the ratios of foreign workers to Lebanese must be taken into account, so that the general ratio in all the institutions and interests mentioned, for example, is three Lebanese for each foreigner A, except for this ratio: restaurants, where the ratio is five Lebanese against a foreigner, and in establishments which employ cleaners or deliverers, or washing, greasing and oven work, where the report is a Lebanese against a foreigner. As for establishments undertaking construction work, the ratio is one Lebanese for three foreigners.
3- The Minister can also grant an exemption to one of the companies or institutions which recruit foreigners, provided that the justification of the request is based on serious and convincing reasons.
Third article: Pursuant to article 74 of law n ° 220 of May 29, 2000 (relating to the rights of persons with disabilities), employers in the private sector whose number of employees is not less than thirty (30) and more than sixty (60) are obliged to employ a salary of disabled people, who have the required qualifications. But if the number of workers in the institution exceeds sixty, the employer or institution is obliged to employ disabled people at a rate of at least three percent (3%) of his salary, who meet the qualifications required. The National Social Security Fund must verify the correct application of the employers’ obligation to employ disabled people and must not issue an authorization to the offending employer.
Article four: It is not allowed to grant prior authorization and renew the work permit to foreign employers, if this leads to circumvent this decision.
Fifth article: The foreigner’s profession is clearly defined in the request which cannot be interpreted in several ways, and any request which includes the word expert, technician, coordinator, specialist advisor, specialist, etc. is rejected, so that the type of expertise, coordination or technical work must be specified, either the consultant or the specialist subject to the work permit.
Article Six: The list of professions that foreigners have the right to exercise and which are listed on the website of the Ministry and reported to Public Security is canceled and considered as if they were not, and it is prohibited to avail or apply them. The leave and the initial approval specify the category to which the worker belongs.
Seventh article: Must be entered in the work authorization application file, or in the initial or prior approval, the authorization decision to exercise the profession for the applicant or the establishment in which he practices in the event that the regulation requires obtaining a license to practice a profession, for example:
1. A company or a tourist institution (all brands): authorization of decision to establish and invest the tourist of the Foundation of the Ministry of Tourism (according to the provisions of decree n ° 15598 Date 21/9/1970 (specify the general conditions for the establishment of tourism Astosmaralamassat and its amendments)
2. The massage center: the approval granted in accordance with the accelerated bill published by decree n ° 9827 of 22/06/1962 (relating to medical and aesthetic massage) and obtaining the approval of the governor that the center fulfills the requirements. conditions of hygiene, public safety and morality
3- For sports associations and clubs: a declaration or decision establishing the association or club
4- For classified establishments: The decision authorizing the exercise of the profession issued by the Governor or the Qaimqam
5- Factories: The decision to authorize the establishment of a factory by the Ministry of Industry.
6- Beauty centers and hairdressing and decoration salons: presentation of a health certificate and a certificate of observation of the condition of the distance between the salons provided for in the union regulations.
Article 8: The initial or prior consent is personal and cannot be transferred to a third party.
Article Nine: The re-examination must be motivated and justified by documents, and submitted to the Minister, accompanied by an examination by the competent service on the legality of the request, its fulfillment of the legal conditions, and the justifications to answer it.
Article ten: The work authorization and the prior authorization are part of the publicity decisions, the effect of which is limited to the application of the holder’s conditions to the laws and regulations in force. The requester assumes responsibility for the accuracy of the data, and in the event of a violation, the license or prior approval will be recovered and the penalties provided for by applicable regulations will be applied to the violator and the requester.
Article eleven: Any violation of the provisions of this decision exposes the offender to liability.
Article twelve: Any text contrary to the provisions of this resolution will be canceled.
Thirteenth Article: This decision will be published in the Official Journal and will come into force on the day of its publication.