The Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, Dr. Ali Hamieh, held a press conference discussing "the circular regarding the removal of all advertisements placed on public properties belonging to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the reorganization of the licensing process." He called upon the concerned authorities "to assist in its implementation." Hamieh noted that "the advertising sector is engulfed in chaos, thus we need to reorganize the licensing process in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 1302 issued in 2015, which mandates that anyone wishing to place an advertisement must obtain approval from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and then from the relevant municipalities, to ensure the proper functioning and regularity of work."
He emphasized that Decree No. 1302 dated January 15, 2015, prohibits the placement of advertisements and billboards of all types on lighting and electricity poles, above bridges, and at the entrances and exits of tunnels, on city and village name signs, traffic signs, and on road walls and inside roundabouts. He stated, "For the proper functioning and regularity of work and to ensure public interest, all advertisements placed on the properties of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport in violation of the provisions of Decree 1302/2015 are considered null and void and in violation of licensing principles. We found that approximately 90% of the advertisements present on the Ministry’s properties are in violation, which is why we issued a circular and sent it to the relevant administrations indicating that companies must obtain approval from the Ministry of Public Works. If the billboards do not have approval from the Ministry of Public Works and the municipalities, they will be removed immediately at the owners' expense and responsibility, with municipalities coordinating the removal process within their jurisdiction."
Furthermore, if companies have municipal approval but lack approval from the Ministry of Public Works, owners of billboards without ministry approval will be given a two-month grace period to submit a request to the ministry for review and approval regarding the occupation of the requested space. Those seeking approval from the ministry must apply according to the conditions, specifications, and procedures set out in the decree to carry out the necessary legal requirements, after which they will obtain a license from the municipality and pay the fees to the municipality, not to the ministry.
He considered that "the existing advertisements are illegal, and the goal we are pursuing is to organize the advertising sector present on bridges and highways." Hamieh also pointed out that "if Decree No. 1302/2015 is amended, there should be a different fee for political advertisements compared to commercial advertisements, as is practiced in all countries around the world, and this is a project we will work on."
