REPORT: Cabinet adjourns discussions over budget to successive meeting

A Cabinet session convened on Wednesday at the Grand Serail chaired by Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The session was dedicated to discussing the state’s budget after the country failed to approve one since 2005.

“Deliberations will continue on Friday and another three sessions have been scheduled for next week to approve the budget plan,” said Information Minister Melhem Riachi after the meeting.

 

Referring to a protest that took place on Tuesday evening outside al-Jadeed TV, Riachi said that he took the necessary procedures adding that judiciary will take action in this regard.

Prior to the session, State Minister for Human Rights Ayman Choucair said that “there would be no need to impose more taxes that people can’t bear if the government stops needless expenditure.”

For his part, Social Affairs Minister Pierre Abou Assi said that he will request “the reduction and rationalization of expenditure and the processing of electricity shortage to provide people with more electricity.

Young men from the AMAL Movement staged a protest outside the al-Jadeed building on Tuesday in Beirut after the TV channel was accused of “insulting” AMAL founder Imam Moussa al-Sadr.

 

Political disputes between Lebanon's parties have thwarted an approval on a state budget since 2005.