BEIRUT, Jan 28 (NNN-NNA) — Lebanon’s Parliament endorsed, on Monday, the 2020 state budget, Al-Jadeed local TV channel reported.
The 2020 state budget estimates revenues to stand at 13,325 billion Lebanese pounds (8.8 billion U.S. dollars), which are not enough to pay the public sector salaries, social aid and debt servicing, according to head of the finance and budget committee, Ibrahim Kanaan.
The newly appointed government will adopt the draft budget, prepared by the cabinet of Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, while introducing some modifications to it, in a bid to gain time in implementing urgent reforms amid a deteriorating economic situation.
Earlier, hundreds of protesters gathered in Beirut’s Downtown, in an attempt to prevent MP’s from reaching Parliament to discuss the budget, resulting in the injury of 27 people, due to heavy clashes between the Lebanese army, security forces and protesters.
Lebanon is in dire need for a budget that would cut deficit, by taking serious reforms measures, to save the country’s economy and public finances.– NNN-NNA
