Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that his government is committed to ensuring public sector employees receive their rightful salary raises, as officials work to boost tax and customs revenue. He outlined measures to boost revenue collection, including improved tax and customs enforcement, issuing collection orders for quarries, reviewing coastal properties, and adopting a value-added tax (VAT) policy aimed at wealthier groups.

Speaking from Tripoli Port, Salam acknowledged that the government had to raise gasoline prices but emphasized that a planned diesel price hike was canceled to protect low-income citizens.

“The VAT increase is small, it will be paid by the wealthy, and will not affect low-income earners,” he said, emphasizing that the government’s plan is comprehensive, combining a tax increase with higher salaries for public sector employees.

Salam said temporary shelters for residents displaced by recent building collapses in Tripoli are only a stopgap measure, adding that families will eventually return to their homes. Some residents have already begun receiving housing allowances, while others are staying with relatives, leaving the choice to individual households. The government has also begun studying housing plans to rebuild damaged structures, including those slated for demolition.

Salam, accompanied by Social Affairs Minister Hanin Al-Sayyed, began his visit by meeting families temporarily residing in a local hotel and inspecting residents living in structurally unsafe buildings. He later chaired a meeting at the Special Economic Zone building in Tripoli with Minister Al-Sayyed, the Zone’s head Hassan Dinnawi, Tripoli Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh, and members of the Zone’s board.

The Prime Minister said his government is tackling years of neglect in Tripoli through development initiatives, including efforts to activate the Tripoli Special Economic Zone, revive the Rashid Karameh International Fair, and reopen Rene Moauwad Airport.