Lebanon has the third-highest debt level in the world, currently standing at about $86 billion, or 150% of its gross domestic product. “They are putting more and more taxes on us even though we cannot take any more taxes,” he said. ADProtesters also closed roads in other parts of Lebanon, including the northern city of Tripoli, Tyre in the south and Baalbek in the northeast. ADThe government is discussing the 2020 budget, and new taxes have been proposed, including on tobacco, gasoline and some social media telecommunication software such as WhatsApp. Telecommunications Minister Mohamed Choucair appeared on TV after the protests began and said Prime Minister Saad Hariri has asked him to drop the proposed tax on WhatsApp.

Source: Washington Post October 17, 2019 19:41 UTC