Ahead of next week's parliamentary session, the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers met Thursday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri to voice their opposition to any taxes that would hurt workers or lower income households.

The new proposed taxes have raised eyebrows among public sector and economic bodies.

Cabinet is scheduled to meet Friday, but all eyes are on next week's Parliamentary session where lawmakers are set to discuss three draft laws: tax amendments previously approved by Cabinet, calls for delaying the public sector salary hike until new taxes are approved and a solution to past years' extra-budgetary spending.

Asmar and others have called on the government to separate the salary scale from the tax hike law and to pay the public sector their due regardless of the fate of the new tax law.

Separately, President Michel Aoun met with a delegation from Lebanon's economic bodies who also voiced their concern over new proposed taxes – this time in the form of double taxation.

Choucair and other economic professionals and bodies have consistently rejected any double taxation.

Speaking during the conference, Kanaan said that the budget's total expenditure would amount to $22 billion, while the state was currently experiencing a spending deficit of around $5 billion.

He stressed that the Lebanese public has been waiting for 12 years for a budget.

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