Salam inspects bereaved city of Tripoli

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday inspected the impoverished northern city of Tripoli, accompanied by Minister of Social Affairs Hanin El Sayed, kicking off his visit by meeting with families temporarily residing in building of the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

Dozens of unsafe buildings were evacuated in Tripoli after the recent collapse of two buildings that killed at least 15 people.

Salam later inspected the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood where the two buildings collapsed.

At the Tripoli Special Economic Zone building, Salam chaired a meeting with Minister of Social Affairs Hanin El Sayed, Zone Chairman Hassan Dannawi, Mayor of Tripoli Abdel Hamid Karimeh, and members of the Zone Authority.

In a statement to reporters, Salam emphasized his commitment to checking on families affected by the unsafe buildings crisis, noting that work is underway to secure housing for families who have left dilapidated buildings.

He emphasized an initiative to repair buildings that can be restored and to demolish those that cannot be repaired, noting that "what is happening is the result of years of neglect, but we do not absolve ourselves of responsibility."

In response to questions regarding the recent tax increase, he explained that "the government has taken binding decisions to prevent any inflation or rise in the dollar exchange rate," affirming that "the increases approved for military personnel and public sector employees are well-deserved."