The National Litani River Authority sent two letters to the Ministers of Industry and Finance, requesting the activation of the legal provisions that grant industrial enterprises that adhere to environmental standards tax and customs reductions on expenses, activities, and equipment designated for protecting the environment and combating pollution.
The Authority explained that the incentives stipulated within the applicable legal frameworks include expenses for establishing, operating and maintaining treatment equipment, environmental monitoring and analysis work, and some assets and equipment used to reduce pollution, as well as customs reductions on imported environmental equipment and technology.
It requested the Ministry of Finance to clarify and unify the tax treatment of these expenses, especially with regard to determining what can be considered deductible burdens, what is subject to tax depreciation, and the mechanism for industrial enterprises to benefit from special environmental incentives.
The Ministry of Industry also called for informing industrialists of their rights and the incentives available to them, and linking commitment to environmental standards to a clear incentive path that encourages institutions to invest in addressing pollution and adopting cleaner production techniques.
The Authority stressed that protecting the Litani River is not limited to prosecution and imposing commitment, but also requires encouraging the industrialist who actually invests in reducing pollution, in a way that makes environmental commitment a viable economic option and a direct interest of the industrial establishment.
