Financial and economic expert Dr. Nacib Ghabryel pointed out that the customs dollar was already included in the 2022 budget project that the government submitted in February to the previous parliament, which merely involved increasing figures based on the 2021 budget, even though all budget figures require reconsideration. Ghabryel warned, in a conversation with "Anbaa" electronic news, about rising prices despite discussions of 300 exempted goods, stating, "Pricing is uncontrollable, and there are entities setting prices at will." He revealed that traders have begun a preemptive import campaign for many goods before the customs dollar is implemented to stock these items for later sale at higher prices. He noted that imports have reached $10.5 billion, a 34% increase in the first seven months of the year, with the most significant rise being in non-oil imports by 32%, equivalent to $7.5 billion.
While waiting for the customs dollar to be approved—which will not be the only necessary measure—Ghabryel indicated that there is an opportunity for the government to activate treasury revenue sources. This includes enhancing collection efforts and enforcing laws that are not currently applied, such as traffic safety, anti-smoking regulations, intellectual property protection, curbing smuggling in both directions, tackling customs smuggling, and imposing an exceptional tax ranging from 50% to 60% on anyone who hoarded or smuggled, resulting in a loss of $12 billion from the Central Bank's reserves. The implementation of all these measures would send a positive signal that helps restore confidence in Lebanon.
