A quick overview of the draft budget for 2003 shows the alarming implications
of the document for most Lebanese, particularly for low-wage earners. The Lebanese
are being asked to pay the cost of the war and of the misguided government policies
followed since it ended 12 years ago. Not only are people in general going to pay higher taxes and fees, but civil servants will have to work additional hours without receiving any compensation for the extra work. As a result, many women civil servants will be compelled to abandon their jobs since they will no longer be able to absent themselves from their homes for such long hours and will have to choose between two alternatives: raising their children or devoting themselves to their jobs. Or they can remain single and avoid having children.
The present work schedule of public employees enables them to take jobs in the afternoons, thus earning badly-needed extra incomes. Now that opportunity will be denied them. Many will have to resign to look for jobs in the private sector. Thus the idea of recruiting contractual civil servants, previously ruled out, will be adopted.
And what about the salaries of the employees who stay on? These have not been increased since 1996. But in that time prices have increased by about 30 percent. At the same time, taxes and other charges have further reduced purchasing power.
In view of this, will the public have to bear new burdens? The answer would seem to be in the affirmative. The value-added tax will be increased, as will the charge for car inspections and that for the use of fixed telephones. The charge for the latter will be doubled, believe it or not. So far there is no mention of how cell phone charges will be affected, but one can hardly doubt that these too will go up.
We can look forward, then, to yet another “winter of discontent”.
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