Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil said Monday that Cabinet will have a first read of the draft 2020 state budget next week.
Khalil’s comments came after he met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail.
“The two discussed the economic and financial situation in the country,” a statement from Hariri’s office read.
Khalil told reporters after the meeting that they also talked about the draft 2020 state budget, stressing that there were no disputes regarding the draft.
The meeting between Hariri and Khalil preceded reports that the premier was going to chair a financial meeting that would include the various political blocs.
Speaking after a Cabinet session last week, Information Minister Jamal Jarrah said that Cabinet was set to begin its discussions of the draft this week.
In July Parliament passed the 2019 state budget, which sought to address Lebanon’s fiscal woes by reducing the deficit to around 7.8 percent of gross domestic product, down from more than 11 percent in 2018.
The 2020 budget is expected to further reduce the deficit. According to the Constitution, Cabinet should send the budget to Parliament in October; Parliament then has until the end of the year to pass it.
The Daily Star
09/09/2019
