BEIRUT, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of people took to the streets in Beirut on Tuesday to protest against a rise in fuel prices and value-added tax (VAT) approved by the government to help finance public sector wage hikes.
On Monday, the Lebanese cabinet approved raising the price of 20 liters of gasoline by 300,000 Lebanese pounds (about 3.35 U.S. dollars), increasing VAT from 11 to 12 percent, and a salary increase for public sector employees.
On Tuesday morning, protesters blocked the Ring Road, a key highway linking east and west Beirut, and a junction south of the city that connects Beirut to the airport and to southern Lebanon, arguing the measures would place additional burdens on the general population.
Protesters said that the salary increases were inadequate compared to soaring prices, and that the fuel and tax hikes would negatively impact all citizens, including those not benefiting from wage adjustments.
They called for alternative solutions that would not further strain households already grappling with economic hardship. No major security incidents were immediately reported.
The government has defended the measures as necessary to secure funding for salary corrections and maintain public sector operations, which have been disrupted in recent years due to financial constraints.
Lebanon has been mired in an unprecedented financial crisis since 2019. The Lebanese lira has lost most of its value, fueling rampant inflation and severely eroding purchasing power. The crisis has plunged much of the population into poverty, while structural reforms and financial stability remain elusive. ■
