Minister of Economy Amin Salam said on Saturday that the ministerial committee is authorized to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund about all the details and stages of the agreement, as well as to set the main points before reaching the final agreement.
Salam’s comments were made during an interview with Nharkom Said TV show whereby he noted that the ministerial committee must focus on figures, data and the recovery plan.
“Once a final agreement is reached, the matter will require a decision by the Cabinet,” he added.
On another note, Salam stressed that his ministry has worked with the Ministry of Social Affairs on the ration cards, adding however that there are some monetary and technical issues that are still pending.
“The announcement of the ration cards was too early,” he explained.
The minister added that “the first phase has ended and its financing is available,” noting that Lebanese will witness a progress on the matter as of next week.
Tackling the prices issue, Salam stressed that the ministry is trying to reduce profit margins, adding that fines are being written against violators, calling on citizens to report any violation through the Consumer Protection Lebanon application, in order to help the Consumer Protection Directorate track violations faster.