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Mukhtars across Lebanon took to the streets on Tuesday in protest against the exorbitant increase in civil registration document fees introduced in the 2024 budget.
In Akkar, north Lebanon, protesters gathered in front of the Halba Serail to express their recriminations. Zaher al-Kassar, head of the Union of Mukhtars in Akkar, declared that they “will not process any formality before fees are reviewed.”
Similar demonstrations took place in Saida and Tripoli a day earlier, in the presence of several MPs from the respective regions.
Amendments to Articles 40, 41, and 42 in the 2024 budget increased the cost of the Mukhtar’s stamp from 1,000 to 50,000 Lebanese pounds (LBP).
As a result, obtaining an individual or family status record now costs a minimum of 600,000 Lebanese pounds, including 400,000 LBP for stamps.
A civil status record, which previously cost 250,000 LBP, can now amount to around one million LBP, including stamps.
In the meantime, citizens have not been able to proceed with their formalities due to the unavailability of stamps. In an interview with This is Beirut, Mosbah Ido, the head of the Mukhtar Union in Beirut, highlighted the challenges.
“In civil registration, both Mukhtars and citizens struggled to find stamps worth 1,000 LBP for their formalities. Now, stamps for a certificate are worth 400,000 LBP,” said Ido.
Mukhtars relied on BoB Finance and Whish for stamps, but these companies stopped providing stamps due to commission issues.
Both Mukhtars and Lebanese citizens are struggling to put up with the consequences of increased fees amidst dwindling purchasing power due to the economic crisis.
“Everyone needs a Mukhtar to issue birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. If a citizen dies now, I cannot issue their paperwork, which leaves us unemployed,” he lamented.
Furthermore, citizens seeking to immigrate or travel are at a standstill, unable to complete their formalities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The formality for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cost 50,000 LBP previously. Today, the cost is fixed at one million LBP. The Ministry cannot issue a receipt for that amount, nor can BoB Finance. Consequently, citizens wanting to finish their papers in order to immigrate are stuck here,” emphasized Ido.
On potential solutions, Ido stressed, “We will speak out, and if solutions aren’t found, we will stop working.”
During a press conference on Monday, Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan revealed that “there are over 81,000 formalities that the government has kept on hold. This comes at a time when thousands of new formalities are being presented weekly.”
Given the current crisis and government standstill, will the Mukhtars’ call for justice result in any kind of change?
