Lebanese government plans tax on WhatsApp; Kuwaitis warned to stay away from protests

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BEIRUT, Oct 17 (KUNA) — Lebanese Minister of Education and Higher Education Akram Shuhaib announced Thursday that the schools and universities, whether public or private, would close doors tomorrow due to the current situation in the country.

The announcement comes against the backdrop of the mass demonstrations being staged countrywide in protest against the government plan in the 2020 state budget to levy a tax on using WhatsApp and increase the petrol prices.

Protester leaders, trade unionists and political activists called for a general strike and continued demonstrations until the government steps down.

The State of Kuwait Embassy on Thursday called on its nationals in Lebanon to be cautious about, and keep away from, the anti-government protests being staged in several parts of the country.

The embassy urged, in a statement, the Kuwaiti citizens to adhere to the security instructions, set by the Lebanese authorities, and contact the embassy in case of any emergency via the following phone number: 0096171171441.

Large numbers of the Lebanese citizens took to streets this evening in protest against the government plan to levy a tax on using WhatsApp service and increase the petrol prices.

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