The Prime Minister met with the Minister of Finance, Yassin Jaber, the President of the General Labor Union, Bishara Al-Asmar, and the President of the Land Transport Unions, Bassam Tlais.

After the meeting, the Minister of Finance stated, “At the invitation of the Prime Minister, we held a meeting today in the presence of Dr. Bashar Al-Asmar, President of the General Labor Union, and Hajj Bassam Tlais, who is responsible for the land transport sector in Lebanon. The meeting was positive, as the repercussions of the rise in gasoline prices on the transport sector were discussed.”

He added: “It was agreed on the necessity of not allowing any increase in fuel prices to be reflected in public transportation tariffs, and preventing any exploitation of this matter to raise prices for citizens. It was also emphasized to fix the tariff agreed upon with the Ministry of Transport, whether for taxis or other means of public transportation. The agreement confirms that the government is in the process of a complete tax reform project, and as soon as its preparation is completed, it will be sent to the Parliament for study. There will also be a review of the issue of value-added tax in general. The government will not adhere to a single rate in One hundred as stated in the draft law issued by the Council of Ministers, until the in-depth study is completed, and we will look at the issue in general, and any potential increase must be carefully studied, and affect the groups that are able to bear it.”

The Minister of Finance added: “In order to ensure the stability of the transportation sector, it was agreed to allocate a type of assistance to drivers that will be provided through the Ministry of Finance, in a way that ensures the preservation of stability in this vital sector so that there is no exploitation of the issue, provided that the details of what was agreed upon will be discussed in their meetings.”

He concluded his speech by saying: “I extend my thanks to Dr. Bashar Al-Asmar and Hajj Bassam Tlais for the spirit of cooperation. The government is keen to find solutions to various problems, despite the many demands and limited capabilities, and we hope that through joint cooperation we will preserve the interests of everyone and preserve social stability, especially in this holy month.”

In response to a question about the drivers’ scheduled movements tomorrow, the Minister of Finance replied: “They will hold meetings with their base, and God willing, there will be an understanding of the existing pressures and this solution will be accepted by everyone.”

Foreign Affairs Committee

President Salam also received the Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Fadi Alama, and the members of the committee, Representatives: Wael Abu Faour, Ali Asseiran, Inaya Ezz El-Din, Elias Al-Khoury, Agop Pakradounian, Haider Nasser, in the presence of the Chairman of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Ramez Damascene.

After the meeting, Representative Alama said: “The visit of His Excellency the Prime Minister to present the file related to the relevant committee, especially the file of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).”

He continued: “As is known, UNRWA and other United Nations agencies are going through a period of reduction in funding, and Lebanon is one of the most affected countries, as it hosts about 200-230 thousand Palestinian refugees. These refugees benefit from education services through schools, and health care through medical centers, in addition to infrastructure projects implemented by the agency, with a current budget of about 100-110 million dollars, with an expected reduction of 20% that may reach 40%.” This reduction includes most United Nations agencies and a large number of countries around the world.”

Alama continued: “Lebanon is one of the countries most affected by these developments, as there are files related to the humanitarian presence that also include the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and displaced Syrians, and the entitlements associated with the United Nations forces (UNIFIL). We put, Mr. President, in the context of the recent discussions in the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, in the presence of the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, the Palestinian Ambassador, and Ambassador Damascene. They discussed ways to take proactive steps to alleviate the suffering of refugees, while at the same time emphasizing that Lebanon cannot He bore additional burdens beyond his capabilities.”

He added: “We have a working paper prepared by the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee headed by Ambassador Damascene, and it is time to discuss it with all political blocs. It forms the basis for any request for external support for UNRWA, and is based on the need to improve the management and governance of the camps and organize the refugee file.”

Regarding the labor market, he pointed out that “President Salam promised to communicate with the Minister of Labor to prepare a comprehensive study, which includes assessing the needs of the market and determining the required jobs, with the aim of protecting the Lebanese labor force and taking into account the existing reality. Work is also underway on specific sectoral studies, such as the nursing sector, to determine the needs of the Lebanese interior.”

He stressed, “At the external level, it was agreed to activate communication efforts with the European Commission, to discuss the possibility of providing support or compensating for part of the expected shortfall. The European side has expressed initial interest, based on a visit by the Foreign Affairs Committee to the European Parliament and the European Commission, and the focus will be on specific initiatives and projects (Project-Oriented) to ensure that support is transformed into practical and tangible steps on the ground.”

Representative Alama concluded his speech by saying: “Communication will also be expanded with international institutions, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with a focus on specific areas, especially health, education, and basic services in schools, with the aim of providing direct support that covers part of the current shortage and mitigates its repercussions on the beneficiaries.”

Mohamed Khaled Foundation

President Salam also received a delegation from Dr. Mohammed Khaled Social Foundations, headed by the Mayor, Dr. Wassim Al-Wazzan. The delegation extended an invitation to President Salam to attend the annual breakfast held by the Foundation on February 26 of this year.