Naharnet

Berri Signs Wage Scale, Tax Laws, Refers Them to Cabinet

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Monday signed two key draft laws and referred them to the Council of Ministers, state-run National News Agency reported.

The two bills, which were approved by Parliament during its July 18-19 session, pertain to the new wage scale for civil servants and the armed forces and the new taxes that were imposed to fund the plan.

The bills need President Michel Aoun's signature to enter into effect.

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

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.

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.


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