The Lebanese government held its third session on Thursday to discuss the 2019 budget, in parallel with a strike by the General Labor Union that included public institutions and independent professions.
Following the session, Minister of Information Jamal al-Jarrah said that it was agreed to abolish custom and registration exemptions for vehicles owned by MPs and ministers and to impose fees on license plates with special numbers. He added that the custom exemptions were also revoked for some people, except for persons with special needs.
Earlier on Thursday, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil met with Minister of Labor Kamil Abou Sleiman and the head of the General Labor Union, Beshara al-Asmar. Talks focused on the state budget and measures to be taken by the ministry.
Asmar announced that a decision regarding a planned three-day strike would be made after assessing the outcome of the meeting.
He underlined the importance of communication between the General Labor Union and the country’s economic and financial institutions.
Asmar also called on Prime Minister Saad Hariri and all concerned parties to hold a constructive dialogue on the means to overcome the difficult economic situation.
In response to a question on the possibility of suspending the strike, the president of the Labor Union said he would meet with the Union members and the heads of the concerned sectors in order to make the appropriate decision.
The General Labor Union had announced a three-day general strike starting Thursday. The protests took place as the cabinet launched a series of meetings Tuesday to discuss the 2019 state budget that was prepared by the finance minister.
Khalil had previously said that it would include austerity measures and reductions in spending in a bid to ease the budget deficit.
