Maarawi to LBCI: The 2024 budget includes unification of the exchange rate, and the tax brackets have been corrected

The Director General of Land Registration and Cadastre at the Ministry of Finance, George Maarawi, affirmed that "we are citizens first before we are in public service, and any impact of any budget also affects us."

On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, he explained that "this budget is the result of a recovery and revival plan set by the government in 2022."

He also pointed out that "the 2024 budget includes the unification of the exchange rate, and the tax brackets have been corrected, returning to their state before 2020, which is fair."

Maarawi further emphasized that "salaries in the private sector are no longer as they used to be, and they have returned to a maximum of 80 percent."

He said, "Justice is not present today, and we all aspire for justice. Today, we plan to return all deposits."

He explained the two paths for unifying the exchange rate: "The first is a financial path in which the Ministry of Finance levies taxes based on the exchange rate adopted by the Central Bank of Lebanon."

Adding: "The second is cash-related, as the dollar was set at LBP 1500, and after 2023, it was raised to LBP 15,000. Now the question is: At what exchange rate?"

He believed that "no decision is made without studying the issue of unifying the dollar's exchange rate."

He emphasized that "the issue of capital control is not within our jurisdiction as the Ministry of Finance, as this is a banking issue."