National Bloc: Enough Patchwork

The National Bloc considers the Cabinet’s decision to increase the price of gasoline by 300,000 Lebanese pounds and raise the value-added tax (VAT) by 1% to be a serious mistake that will worsen the burden on the Lebanese people, particularly the private sector, at a time when the economy is in recession. Raising taxes at this stage, without parallel measures to stimulate growth and control spending, puts pressure on purchasing power and fuels inflation instead of addressing it.

The Bloc also believes that any wage increase, as a matter of fairness to employees and workers, must fall within a comprehensive vision for exiting the economic crisis. These revenues would be better secured through bold reforms, including restructuring the public sector, curbing waste, combating the informal economy, and adopting fair tax reform, alongside policies that stimulate growth, rather than imposing additional burdens on Lebanese citizens that would deepen the economic contraction.

The National Bloc affirms that its support for the process of state-building is steadfast. However, this support obliges it to speak frankly and to stress the need to correct policies in a way that safeguards the national interest, restores confidence in the state and its institutions, and puts the Lebanese economy on a path of genuine recovery.