President of the General Labor Confederation, Bechara Al-Asmar, met with Caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Raymond Ghajar, who clarified that “what was circulated yesterday about totally lifting the fuel subsidy is not accurate and that it comes in parallel with the subsidy card as an alternative project and with the gradual lifting of subsidies.”

Asmar stressed “the necessity of having a subsidy card or any other clear alternative project to support employees, military personnel, public transport drivers, and people with limited income.”

Asmar asked for ending smuggling, which is eliminating the depositors’ money, and to conduct a serious dialogue sponsored by the Presidency of the Government and attended by the concerned ministries of Energy and Water, Public Works and Transport, the General Labor Union and the Union of Land Transport, to develop a plan that can protect the Lebanese from what awaits them after lifting subsidies. He added that any random lifts of fuel subsidies will lead to a slowdown or comprehensive economic collapse.