New Crisis Looms in Lebanon, Ministry Unable to Pay Salaries of Civil Servants

A money exchange vendor displays Lebanese pound banknotes at his shop in Beirut, Lebanon, January 5, 2022. Picture taken January 5, 2022. (File photo: Reuters)
A money exchange vendor displays Lebanese pound banknotes at his shop in Beirut, Lebanon, January 5, 2022. Picture taken January 5, 2022. (File photo: Reuters)
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New Crisis Looms in Lebanon, Ministry Unable to Pay Salaries of Civil Servants

A money exchange vendor displays Lebanese pound banknotes at his shop in Beirut, Lebanon, January 5, 2022. Picture taken January 5, 2022. (File photo: Reuters)
A money exchange vendor displays Lebanese pound banknotes at his shop in Beirut, Lebanon, January 5, 2022. Picture taken January 5, 2022. (File photo: Reuters)

Labor unions in Lebanon on Tuesday warned of a new crisis looming after reports that the finance ministry might not be able to pay the June salaries for public sector employees.

On Friday, the Finance Ministry’s media office made a statement announcing that it “will not be able to disburse salaries, compensations, wages, and the prescribed increase due at the end of June, before Eid Al-Adha, because of the lack of financial appropriations until the aforementioned date.”

General Labor Union's President Bechara Al-Asmar expressed concern over the matter, saying it would impact around 300 thousand government employees.

In remarks to Arab News Agency, Asmar said the country’s finance ministry took that decision over lack of state budget reserves, amid an unapproved 2023 state budget and a vacuum at the country’s top state post.

He said the parliament must first pass legislation in order for the government to disburse the salaries of civil servants.

Asmar said the matter must be addressed as soon as possible “otherwise we could resort to a general strike and street protests”.

Nawal Nasr, head of the Public Administration Employee’s Union, told the news agency that not all segments of the public sector suffer the same.

“Some segments of the public sector have won the State’s attention. Judges, lawmakers, ministers, the telecommunication and electricity sector employees have all won the State’s attention only because they (officials) have shares in that,” she said.

She said the privileged ones got a raise and health benefits while the rest of the employees, mainly low-income ones, still suffer despite a monthly financial aid amounting to $100 to each personnel, provided by the International Monetary fund. “But what can it add to their purchasing power”? she asked.

Lebanon is grappling with a deep economic crisis since 2019, amid vacuum at the post of presidency and political and institutional paralysis which is stoking fears of a broader breakdown.

 

 

 



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.