Al-Diyar wrote: The International Monetary Fund expected an economic contraction in Lebanon, while the Lebanese are waiting for an immediate rise in commodity prices after the decision to impose fees between 1 and 3 percent on most of what Lebanon imports was issued in the Official Gazette yesterday. The head of the Food Importers Syndicate, Hani Bohsali, warned of an immediate rise in prices and said, “The decision passed in the shadows, and we were surprised by it, and it will lead to a direct rise in prices. It was taken without any prior consultation with the economic bodies or the various sectors concerned.” Bohsali stressed that this decision will have direct repercussions on the markets, warning of successive rises in prices as a result of the increase in the cost of imports, and indicated that fuel prices will rise as of Friday by approximately 2 percent. He pointed out that Lebanon may witness during the next stage a wave of inflation affecting various markets and economic sectors, in light of the impact of these decisions on the final prices borne by the citizen. It should be noted that the fees are related to environmental laws for solid waste management, and these costs were justified by improving the ministries and improving the environmental sector.