Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati heads a meeting regarding vehical registration center's work, March, 13, 2023. (Courtesy of the Prime Minister's office via Twitter account)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi met Monday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to discuss steps to reopen the country's vehicle registration centers.
Lebanon's vehicle registration centers experienced widespread closures following mass employee arrests on corruption charges, according to a tweet published by the Grand Serail.
After Monday's meeting, Mawlawi said the decision was made to "enable the Dikwaneh registration center and in other areas to function and to simplify the paperwork."
Among the steps taken, Mawlawi shared a plan to train 30 Internal Security Forces officers on the vehicle registration center's informatics skills.
"We extended the validity of driver's licenses until the end of the year to ease the pressure off the registration centers and for the citizens to keep driving legally," Mawlawi said. "The Prime Minister said that he will secure all that is needed to reopen the vehicle registration centers and to respond to the needs of the citizens."
"Things are on track and the car registration centers will open again," he added.
Tens of employees from car registration centers were arrested last year for alleged corruption. Some of the arrested were released later, but the mass arrests suspended work in the centers.