Kan'an from Baabda: Don't Worry... New Taxes or Fees Won't Pass

President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun met with MP Ibrahim Kan'an and discussed current developments. Kan'an said after the meeting: "I was honored to meet His Excellency the President, and the events unfolding around us have proven that Lebanon's official stance—guided by its president and government—of pursuing diplomatic solutions through direct negotiation remains a serious and beneficial effort, not just for immediate results but for placing Lebanon on the decision-making table and the path to resolution. Meanwhile, other options in the region lead one day to war and another to agreements that collapse. The military option is unequal, and we all witness Israel's occupation of the south. Had it not been for the pressure generated by this initiative, both at the American level and internationally, our military situation would be worse than it is today."

Kan'an emphasized: "The solution we aspire to is Lebanon’s state solution—the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south, strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese Army, and deploying it with its sole weaponry across all Lebanese territory, as it is the guarantee for Lebanese citizens and the foundation for stabilizing political stability that takes us not only toward reconstruction but also toward rebuilding financial and economic trust locally and nationally."

He noted: "Lebanon has taken a major step forward in financial and economic reforms, and the Bank Reform Law is ready. There remain complementary issues related to the Financial Regulation Law and deposit recovery, which are the cornerstone of restoring genuine trust—when rights return to depositors and investors feel assured their money won’t vanish every ten years. His Excellency the President is the guarantor and vigilant guardian of both the sovereign and reform paths, not merely ink on paper, especially since the issue isn’t just enacting laws but building trust tied to rights, which demands seriousness in funding deposit recovery—the central theme of the next phase."

Kan'an expressed hope that the 2027 budget would include an economic and financial vision considering our future conditions and what must be established to generate growth, not just borrowing to cover deficits."

Responding to a question about fees and taxes, Kan'an stated: "Don’t worry—you won’t suffer. We are not in favor of any new taxes or fees, and they won’t pass in the Parliament, as the Lebanese cannot bear such burdens. However, there may be a need to adjust certain fees according to the exchange rate. Some fees still reflect the old exchange rate of 1,500 LBP, while others set at 10,000 and 20,000 LBP are no longer valid. Any tax linked to a recovering economy should not be based on the shadow of people’s money trapped in banks, nor on the ongoing weight of war, which will otherwise lead to contraction."