Jumblat Calls for Reconsidering Officials' Salaries, Reform in Public Administration

Progressive Socialist Party Leader MP Walid Jumblat said on Monday that refraining from slashing the salaries of MPs, ministers and officials will only lead to deepening the rift between the citizen and society.

In his weekly editorial in al-Anbaa newspaper, Jumblat called for reconsidering the financial disbursement of Lebanese officials “at the expense of citizens and the public treasury”.

The PSP leader also discussed economical policies adopted by the government, calling for a reform in taxation laws and cabinet expenditure scheme, while suggesting an increase of taxes on luxuries and marine properties.

“We are standing in the way of real economical development, and only contributing to the increase of public debt and the treasury's deficit instead,” he said.

Jumblat criticized the absence of a clear and complete plan to control corruption in public administrations, revealing that he possesses evidence of fraud in the Lebanese Customs department.

The MP called for coming up with a strategy to guide public expenditures and reform administrations, suggesting the merge of some government bodies and reducing the privileges given to some of them.

"We must act now to restore citizens' long lost trust in their communities and government,” he expressed.