Cabinet Approves State Budget, Lebanon's First in 12 Years

Source: 
Naharnet
Publication date: 
Mar 27 2017

The cabinet on Monday approved the 2017 state budget, the country's first budget in 12 years, referring it to parliament for final ratification.

“The Cabinet approved the draft state budget and the deficit was greatly decreased through the debate that took place today,” Information Minister Melhem Riachi told reporters after the session.

“After the president and the premier return from the Arab Summit on Thursday, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil will visit PM (Saad) Hariri at the Grand Serail and will hold a press conference to announce all the details, numbers, the budget deficit, the decrease in the deficit, the numbers of the budget, the revenues and the expenditure,” Riachi added.

“The session did not witness any dispute and the discussion took time because it involves numbers,” the minister noted.

Lebanon has not approved a state budget since 2005 due to political differences between the rival parties.

Date: 27/03/2017

Source: http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/227618-cabinet-approves-state-budget-lebanon-s-first-in-12-years