Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Parliament, received Abbas Halabi, the Minister of Education and Higher Education in the caretaker government, at the second presidential seat in Ain Tineh, where they discussed the general situation, particularly educational matters. After the meeting, Minister Halabi stated: “I was honored to meet with His Excellency Speaker Nabih Berri, which was an opportunity to discuss some educational issues, especially following the announcement of the results of the intermediate certificate. It was revealed that the student who ranked first is Ms. Amira Zreik from the martyr Bilal Fakhfakh High School in Tull, Nabatiyeh. His Excellency made a call to the student, and I spoke with her as well, delivering our congratulations and pride in her achieving this first rank in the intermediate certificate.”
President Berri also addressed the general situation, especially the security aspect, as well as the latest political developments during his meeting with Bassam Mawlawi, the Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the caretaker government, who left without making a statement. In the afternoon, the President met with a delegation from the military leadership, which included Brigadier General Ibrahim Tohme, Chief of the Military Ceremonies, Colonel Najib Bouzeian, Head of the Media Division in the Military Room, and Colonel Ahmed Haj Shihada, Head of the Public Relations Branch in the Intelligence Directorate. The delegation delivered an invitation to President Berri to participate in a traditional sword-giving ceremony for third-year officer students at the military academy, which will take place on August 1, in celebration of Army Day.
Later in the afternoon, President Berri welcomed Ali Hamiyeh, the Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, where they discussed the general situation, particularly the ministry's action program, especially the joint transport plan. After the meeting, Minister Hamiyeh said: "I was honored today to visit His Excellency Speaker Nabih Berri firstly to congratulate him on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, and secondly to brief him on the laws we have worked on in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport concerning increasing revenues without touching the citizens' pockets. The main concern for the Lebanese state is increasing revenues, and how to achieve this increase? It is done by activating and strengthening public facilities so that they contribute to the treasury with money, thus allowing the Lebanese state to be comfortable enough to make appropriate decisions in the interest of public sector employees and the state as a whole."
Hamiyeh added that from the first day in the Ministry of Public Works, they sought ways to support the treasury with revenues, starting with the airport, where the Airport Schedule No. 9 stipulates fees in Lebanese lira. For example, if we wanted to light the airport for an airline, it would have cost 150,000 Lebanese lira, which we have since changed to dollars, as airlines charge in dollars. He explained that they submitted a proposal to amend Article 35 from the 2019 budget, which previously prohibited the Lebanese state from collecting fees and taxes in dollars after the dollar crisis. Hamiyeh noted that the current departure tax for travelers, set back in the 1990s at 50,000 Lebanese lira, is also being amended to $33 for economy class tickets.
Regarding the topic of the Beirut port silos, Hamiyeh said that the Cabinet had decided to demolish the silos. However, the ongoing fire at the silos raises serious concerns. Experts indicated that there is a considerable amount of wheat stacked in the silos, causing fermentation that could lead to combustion due to high temperatures. Two options are being considered: either extinguish the fire with specific materials or break the silos from below. Hamiyeh emphasized that he cannot allow anyone near the silos, as they pose a danger to human life.
Additionally, President Berri made a phone call to student Amira Hussein Zreik and her family, congratulating her for achieving the top rank in Lebanon with an average of 19.44. It is noteworthy that student Amira Zreik is from Adchit, Nabatiyeh, and is a student at the martyr Bilal Fakhfakh High School in Tull, affiliated with Amal Educational Institutions. She is also part of the "Daleelat" in the Southern Commission for the Islamic Scout Association.
