Sit-In Outside Municipality, Residents Make an Urgent Appeal
Employees and workers at the Baalbek municipality staged a sit-in outside the municipal building, demanding the payment of outstanding dues owed to them by the municipal council.
The protest comes as municipalities have yet to receive funds owed to them by the Finance Ministry, while weak revenue collection has further strained their finances amid the region’s difficult economic conditions.
The protesters called on the finance minister to release the municipalities’ outstanding funds. They noted that the workers had received an advance of 13 million Lebanese pounds toward their overdue salaries, which was paid out in less than a week.
They criticized the government for approving salary increases for lawmakers, public-sector employees and retirees while some municipal workers and employees have gone months without receiving their salaries.
