国际英语资讯:News Analysis: Economists differ on Lebanons new flat tax on imports
<p><span word="BEIRUT">BEIRUT</span>, <span word="May">May</span> 28-- <span word="Local">Local</span> <span word="economists">economists</span> <span word="expressed">expressed</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="views">views</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> 2-<span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="imposed">imposed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="imports">imports</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 2019 <span word="state">state</span> <span word="budget">budget</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Officials">Officials</span> <span word="increased">increased</span> <span word="tariffs">tariffs</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="imports">imports</span> <span word="from">from</span> 5 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="to">to</span> 7 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="industrialists">industrialists</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span>," <span word="Nassib">Nassib</span> <span word="Ghobril">Ghobril</span>, <span word="economist">economist</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="department">department</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Byblos">Byblos</span> <span word="Bank">Bank</span>, <span word="told">told</span> <span word="Xinhua">Xinhua</span>.</p><p><span word="Ghobril">Ghobril</span> <span word="explained">explained</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="industrialists">industrialists</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="demanding">demanding</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="stopping">stopping</span> <span word="dumping">dumping</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="controlling">controlling</span> <span word="smuggling">smuggling</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="borders">borders</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Lebanon">Lebanon</span>.</p><p>"<span word="What">What</span> <span word="industrialists">industrialists</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="closure">closure</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="factories">factories</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="taxes">taxes</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="fees">fees</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Social">Social</span> <span word="Security">Security</span> <span word="Fund">Fund</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="According">According</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Ghobril">Ghobril</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="imposed">imposed</span> <span word="tariffs">tariffs</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="products">products</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Lebanon">Lebanon</span>.</p><p><span word="Ghobril">Ghobril</span> <span word="slammed">slammed</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="measure">measure</span>, <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="huge">huge</span> <span word="negative">negative</span> <span word="impact">impact</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="merchants">merchants</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="consumers">consumers</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="higher">higher</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="products">products</span>.</p><p><span word="Lebanese">Lebanese</span> <span word="Economy">Economy</span> <span word="Minister">Minister</span> <span word="Mansour">Mansour</span> <span word="Bteish">Bteish</span> <span word="announced">announced</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cabinet">cabinet</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="approved">approved</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="impose">impose</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="of">of</span> 2 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="imports">imports</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="production">production</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="imposing">imposing</span> <span word="a">a</span> 2-<span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="imports">imports</span> <span word="except">except</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="pharmaceutical">pharmaceutical</span> <span word="drugs">drugs</span>, <span word="electric">electric</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="equipment">equipment</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="industrial">industrial</span> <span word="purposes">purposes</span>," <span word="Bteish">Bteish</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="years">years</span>, <span word="industrialists">industrialists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="urging">urging</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="industries">industries</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="halting">halting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dumping">dumping</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cheap">cheap</span> <span word="products">products</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="addition">addition</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="subsidizing">subsidizing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="electricity">electricity</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Lebanon">Lebanon</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="contributes">contributes</span> <span word="greatly">greatly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="increase">increase</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="industrialists">industrialists</span>' <span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="production">production</span>.</p>
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