via Al-Akhbar
I am glad the wage scale draft submitted by the Syndicate Coordination Committee did not pass yesterday, not because the banks and economic committees’ arguments convinced me, nor because I believe the current system is a just one, but simply because it’s not the right time to approve such a bill.
I will not dig into details here, but the problem is not with those who are demonstrating in favor of this bill, but in the thousands of useless and corrupt government employees that will get undeserved raises and worsen the financial burden on the Lebanese state. Unfortunately, a lot of decent workers are paying the price for these corrupt individuals, but things could get much worse for ALL Lebanese if this bill is to pass, at least in its current form.
The Lebanese government needs to find a way to cut down expenses, by eliminating the MPs and Ministers’ salaries to begin with, by cutting down the number of employees in governmental institutions, and by increasing the taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and other non-essential goods. These are few suggestions and I am sure a lot of economists and experts have better ideas, better than raising the VAT like it was suggested yesterday.
I totally agree. They could also increase VAT on luxury items ( $100k+ cars, jewelry, luxurious flats, some imported goods, imported fruits and vegetables etc.) and decrease it on necessities ( bread, milk, local dairy, local fruits and vegetables, etc.). This way they would be benefiting the local economy, reducing the strain on the low-income class, and making the high income class pay for the luxuries they choose to buy. It is only fair.
I also strongly agree on that cigarettes should be sold at like $10 or $15 a pack, even more. People smoke, get sick because of smoking, and finally get hospitalized on the government’s expense. Increasing the price of the cigarettes would bring the following benefits:
1. Smokers would be indirectly paying the price of their treatment to the government, as they choose to smoke and get sick despite all the warnings.
2. The construction workers would stop smoking too as they will no longer be able to afford it. (they could stay healthy, and more productive and efficient. They already put their lives at risk, no need to further increase this risk because of smoking)
3. Less cigarette buds would be thrown on the streets.
4. Smokers will THINK twice before smoking.
5. Passive smoking would be automatically reduced.
6. This would be a strong incentive for smokers to stop smoking.
And no, smuggling cigarettes from Syria would not increase due to the increase in the price of legal cigarettes in Lebanon. Syria is f’d up now, i believe there are other priorities.
they deserve the raise ! i am not talking about the corruptino in administrations but teachers and the lebanese army have the right to live a decent life too … they are not free to put higher prices on products like many others tradespeople.
You should also know that the lebanese army is forbidden to have a secondary work too. So the raise in salaries should occur and how to compensate it is another question. I agree politician wages should not be as high but its not teachers and lebanese army men that should pay the price. so i would like you to also consider these persons beeing the victim of everyone putting up higher prices on everything just for the fun of it before saying you are glad it didn’t pass.