Naharnet

Protesters Rally against New Taxes in Central Beirut Demo

Protesters from the Kataeb Party, civil society groups, the National Liberal Part and the Lebanese Communist Party rallied Sunday in downtown Beirut in rejection of the new taxes that were passed by Parliament to fund the new wage scale.

The demonstrators warned that the new taxes will harm the lower and middle classes.

The demo started outside the building of Beirut Municipality and protesters then marched to Banks Street to an area outside parliament's building before moving to the Riad al-Solh Square and the Martyrs Square.

Kataeb secretary general Patrick Risha renewed the party's call for President Michel Aoun to return the tax law to parliament for reevaluation.

Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel had on Thursday called on Aoun not to sign the tax law and to return it to the legislature, warning of a possible “economic disaster.”

“The president has the ability to stop the crime that will be committed against the Lebanese people and economy,” said Gemayel at a press conference.

He warned that the taxes that have been approved would lower citizens' purchasing power “by 10 to 20%” and would also push “more than 100,000 citizens below the poverty line,” citing studies by the American University of Beirut.

Gemayel also quoted Father Butros Azar, the secretary general of Catholic schools, as saying that school tuitions would rise an average of 27%.

“The prices of apartments will also rise and our youths will suffer,” the young MP cautioned.

The new taxes involve hiking the VAT tax from 10% to 11%, fines on seaside violations, and taxes on cement, administrative transactions, sea imports, lottery prizes, financial firms and banks.

Authorities have argued that the new taxes are necessary to fund the new wage scale but opponents of such a move have called for finding new revenues through putting an end to corruption and the waste of public money.


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