Lebanon passes disputed tax hikes to fund public sector pay riseBEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon s parliament approved contentious taxes needed to finance a public sector pay rise on Monday and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri warned the alternative was a collapse of the Lebanese pound in six months.  Without taxes it would have been better in popular terms, but six months later the lira would have collapsed,  Hariri said after the parliament session.   If we carried out the (public sector salary law) without revenues it would be a disaster for the country.   Lebanon has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 148 percent, one of the highest in the world, and recorded a fiscal deficit of $4.9 billion last year.   Parliament approved a $917 million rise in public sector salaries and a series of tax increases to fund it in July.  Despite objections from business and some political groups, President Michel Aoun ratified the laws in late August and people have since begun receiving increased salaries. But in September the constitutional council annulled the tax law after a political party brought a legal challenge and the council referred it back to parliament for amendments. A Lebanese official told Reuters the taxes approved on Monday remained  mostly as they were before being challenged in the Constitutional Council and do not contain any substantive amendments .  A key argument of those opposing increased taxes is that the Lebanese government offers little in return.    The country s infrastructure has been awaiting repair since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990 - roads are clogged with cars, beaches are littered with waste, internet links are slow or patchy and cuts to power and water supplies are frequent.    Sami Gemeyal, leader of the Christian Kataeb party which filed an appeal against the earlier version of the law, said it would do all it could to challenge it again.   We will study it and see if it is possible to contest the law at the constitutional council,  said Gemeyal. Kataeb is the only major political party not part of Lebanon s coalition government. Lebanon expects to hold a general election next year and the public sector pay rises have proved a popular move. But the business community has warned higher taxes could damage Lebanon s fragile economy, which has been battered by conflict in neighboring Syria. Growth fell from 8-9 percent to below 2 percent after war began in 2011. Business leaders say Lebanon instead needs better tax collection, a credible economic plan and a budget to be passed for the first time since 2005. The banking sector, the cornerstone of Lebanon s economy, objected strongly to the law.  The changes raised corporation tax to 17 percent from 15 percent and also applies taxes on bank transactions in a way bankers say amounts to double taxation.   The effective tax rate on banks currently stands at around 15 percent, but would rise to around 50 percent if the proposed tax changes are enacted, Freddie Baz, Group Strategy Director of Bank Audi and board member of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) lobby group, told Reuters.     The laws have provoked a number of street protests, with people asking for pay rises and also protesting hikes which raised value-added tax (VAT) by 1 percentage point to 11 percent. The head of Lebanon s General Labor Union Beshara al-Asmar said before the vote on Monday there would be a  complete strike  which would ground the country to a halt if positive results were not achieved. worldnews
lebanon passes disputed tax hikes fund public sector pay risebeirut reuters lebanon parliament approved contentious taxes needed finance public sector pay rise monday prime minister said warned alternative collapse lebanese pound six months without taxes would better popular terms six months later lira would collapsed hair said parliament session if carried public sector salary law without revenues would disaster country lebanon ratio percent one highest world recorded fiscal deficit billion last year parliament approved million rise public sector salaries series tax increases fund july despite objections business political groups president michel noun ratified laws late august people since begun receiving increased salaries but september constitutional council annulled tax law political party brought legal challenge council referred back parliament amendments a lebanese official told reuters taxes approved monday remained mostly challenged constitutional council contain substantive amendments a key argument opposing increased taxes lebanese government offers little return the country infrastructure awaiting repair since civil war ended roads logged cars beaches littered waste internet links slow patch cuts power water supplies frequent sami general leader christian kate party filed appeal earlier version law said would could challenge we study see possible contest law constitutional council said general kate major political party part lebanon coalition government lebanon expects hold general election next year public sector pay rises proved popular move but business community warned higher taxes could damage lebanon fragile economy battered conflict neighboring syria growth fell percent percent war began business leaders say lebanon instead needs better tax collection credible economic plan budget passed first time since the banking sector cornerstone lebanon economy objected strongly law the changes raised corporation tax percent percent also applies taxes bank transactions way bankers say amounts double taxation the effective tax rate banks currently stands around percent would rise around percent proposed tax changes enacted freddie baz group strategy director bank audi board member association banks lebanon abl lobby group told reuters the laws provoked number street protests people asking pay rises also protesting hikes raised tax vat percentage point percent the head lebanon general labor union beshara said vote monday would complete strike would ground country halt positive results achieved worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Lebanon passes disputed tax hikes to fund public sector pay riseBEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon s parliament approved contentious taxes needed to finance a public sector pay rise on Monday and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri warned the alternative was a collapse of the Lebanese pound in six months.  Without taxes it would have been better in popular terms, but six months later the lira would have collapsed,  Hariri said after the parliament session.   If we carried out the (public sector salary law) without revenues it would be a disaster for the country.   Lebanon has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 148 percent, one of the highest in the world, and recorded a fiscal deficit of $4.9 billion last year.   Parliament approved a $917 million rise in public sector salaries and a series of tax increases to fund it in July.  Despite objections from business and some political groups, President Michel Aoun ratified the laws in late August and people have since begun receiving increased salaries. But in September the constitutional council annulled the tax law after a political party brought a legal challenge and the council referred it back to parliament for amendments. A Lebanese official told Reuters the taxes approved on Monday remained  mostly as they were before being challenged in the Constitutional Council and do not contain any substantive amendments .  A key argument of those opposing increased taxes is that the Lebanese government offers little in return.    The country s infrastructure has been awaiting repair since the 15-year civil war ended in 1990 - roads are clogged with cars, beaches are littered with waste, internet links are slow or patchy and cuts to power and water supplies are frequent.    Sami Gemeyal, leader of the Christian Kataeb party which filed an appeal against the earlier version of the law, said it would do all it could to challenge it again.   We will study it and see if it is possible to contest the law at the constitutional council,  said Gemeyal. Kataeb is the only major political party not part of Lebanon s coalition government. Lebanon expects to hold a general election next year and the public sector pay rises have proved a popular move. But the business community has warned higher taxes could damage Lebanon s fragile economy, which has been battered by conflict in neighboring Syria. Growth fell from 8-9 percent to below 2 percent after war began in 2011. Business leaders say Lebanon instead needs better tax collection, a credible economic plan and a budget to be passed for the first time since 2005. The banking sector, the cornerstone of Lebanon s economy, objected strongly to the law.  The changes raised corporation tax to 17 percent from 15 percent and also applies taxes on bank transactions in a way bankers say amounts to double taxation.   The effective tax rate on banks currently stands at around 15 percent, but would rise to around 50 percent if the proposed tax changes are enacted, Freddie Baz, Group Strategy Director of Bank Audi and board member of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) lobby group, told Reuters.     The laws have provoked a number of street protests, with people asking for pay rises and also protesting hikes which raised value-added tax (VAT) by 1 percentage point to 11 percent. The head of Lebanon s General Labor Union Beshara al-Asmar said before the vote on Monday there would be a  complete strike  which would ground the country to a halt if positive results were not achieved. worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: lebanon passes disputed tax hikes fund public sector pay risebeirut reuters lebanon parliament approved contentious taxes needed finance public sector pay rise monday prime minister said warned alternative collapse lebanese pound six months without taxes would better popular terms six months later lira would collapsed hair said parliament session if carried public sector salary law without revenues would disaster country lebanon ratio percent one highest world recorded fiscal deficit billion last year parliament approved million rise public sector salaries series tax increases fund july despite objections business political groups president michel noun ratified laws late august people since begun receiving increased salaries but september constitutional council annulled tax law political party brought legal challenge council referred back parliament amendments a lebanese official told reuters taxes approved monday remained mostly challenged constitutional council contain substantive amendments a key argument opposing increased taxes lebanese government offers little return the country infrastructure awaiting repair since civil war ended roads logged cars beaches littered waste internet links slow patch cuts power water supplies frequent sami general leader christian kate party filed appeal earlier version law said would could challenge we study see possible contest law constitutional council said general kate major political party part lebanon coalition government lebanon expects hold general election next year public sector pay rises proved popular move but business community warned higher taxes could damage lebanon fragile economy battered conflict neighboring syria growth fell percent percent war began business leaders say lebanon instead needs better tax collection credible economic plan budget passed first time since the banking sector cornerstone lebanon economy objected strongly law the changes raised corporation tax percent percent also applies taxes bank transactions way bankers say amounts double taxation the effective tax rate banks currently stands around percent would rise around percent proposed tax changes enacted freddie baz group strategy director bank audi board member association banks lebanon abl lobby group told reuters the laws provoked number street protests people asking pay rises also protesting hikes raised tax vat percentage point percent the head lebanon general labor union beshara said vote monday would complete strike would ground country halt positive results achieved worldnews