Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil held a press conference on Wednesday tackling the 2020 state budget draft law, stressing that the 2020 budget does not include any additional tax since the citizens cannot bear anymore.
He stressed that they are following the same approach adopted in the 2019 budget, in a bid to reduce deficit, or at least maintain what has been achieved.
Hassan Khalil added that the figures presented in the 2020 budget are realistic, provided that there are no additions in the budget, stating that the pressure on the Lebanese economy is immense, and growth has returned to zero if not negative, which has doubled the pressure on the Central Bank.
“We will proceed from the current deficit rate and will try to maintain it in the budget of 2020,” the minister pointed out.
Khalil said "our aim is to increase the confidence of the Lebanese in the State through achieving an acceptable growth rate. This requires a return to the law and good management of public finances. Regulators are highly concerned with this matter. We must also restore State rights by restoring the management of public utilities.”
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