A Cabinet session was held Wednesday at Beirut’s Grand Serail to discuss the country’s financial state.
Shortly after the session was launched, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk announced the cabinet’s approval to a draft bill making Civil Defense Volunteers full-time employees.
The decrees will pave the way for the Interior Minister to hold an exam that will prompt to the potential employment of the workers.
This as the Cabinet also approved 50 billion Lebanese pounds for the Lebanese army, as declared by Minister of Industry Hussein Hajj Hassan.
Prior to the session, Industry Minster Hussein Al-Haj Hassan explained that this session is not aimed at fuel tax increases but the country’s tough financial state, stressing his refusal to any fuel tax increases.
Economy Minister Alain Hakim and Energy Minister Arthur Nazarian also noted their objection to any new tax increases.
For his part, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour stated that “before attempting to increase taxes upon civilians, why don’t we tax upper classes and smugglers first ”.
Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil pointed out that he was the first to reduce 5000 L.L. off fuel prices, and if any taxes were to be issued they would be random.
“The state has to form a fund box”, he added.
Additionally, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab said that “a government that is neither capable of solving the waste crisis nor making civil defense volunteers full-time employees, does not have any right to issue taxes.”