Cabinet convenes under Diab's chairmanship

Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, chaired on Thursday a Cabinet session at the Grand Serail.

At the outset, Prime Minister Diab said: "Every step taken by the government is faced with concomitant increased campaigns. We certainly welcome constructive criticism, because we are convinced that objective criticism rectifies our work and benefits us. Unfortunately, campaigns launched against the government are not based on the logic of objective criticism".

PM Diab added: "People are well aware of the political settlements that were taking place at the expense of the State and its institutions, which led the country into the abyss. There is always confusion between State and authority. Whenever the ruling authority is wrong, the State bears the burden of its errors, even though the first victim of all mistakes is the State in its real sense".

"It is not the State that erred on the financial policies that have led to the country's collapse. Ruling authorities have made mistakes", he added.

Diab further declared: "Therefore, we opted for BdL accounts' auditing, including forensic audit, as a first stage, and I endorse the expansion of this audit, so as to cover all State institutions. Basically, BdL accounts auditing will automatically open windows and doors towards other State institutions; accordingly, it will widen the circle of institutions covered.

This is a key point in the reform process, and the government is proceeding with its reformative steps, despite attempts to distort these reforms".

Premier further said: "The Cabinet has abided by its ministerial statement, and we have a complete table featuring finalized, in addition to the remaining files and their completion dates. We are ready to explain in detail what we have achieved to everyone keen on knowing the truth, because we aspire to find real solutions to the current situation".

PM Diab highlighted that "This government has certainly no intention of changing the free economic system. But the problem lies in grasping the concept of free economic system. Free economic chaos, or perhaps free waste system, prevailed in the country. Hence, our approach is different in form and content from the concept that prevailed. We are currently fixing the concept and the free economic system, for our knowledge of the free economic system is totally different from the ensuing chaos".

With regard to economic, social and living conditions, Diab recalled that the "government carries the payment of financial aid to families for the second month, and the number of beneficiary families is gradually increasing. We have also started implementing the subsidized basic basket plan that includes foodstuffs and consumables. This plan will have a dual significant impact: First, it will alleviate the burden on citizens. Second, it will reduce demand for the dollar, hence leading to dollar price decrease, concomitant with the airport's opening, which contributes to the pumping of foreign currencies into the market".

In this context, Premier Diab has deplored the fact that the reopening of the airport will unfortunately lead to the increase in the number of new coronavirus cases from abroad, adding that today, the number has jumped dramatically because of a single infection that has spread the epidemic out of negligence and irresponsibility.

Diab launched an appeal to all Lebanese, saying: "Let us preserve our achievement in facing coronavirus. We do not want to lose the current existing opportunity so that we can yield economic benefits to alleviate the plight of the country.

Today, we all have to be vigilant, for negligence may expose us to a greater risk, with will make things difficult for us."

Subsequently, the Cabinet took the following decisions:  

- Approval of the appointment of 3 inspectors to the Judicial Inspection Authority, namely: Marie Abou Mrad, Maya Fawaz, and Jad Maalouf.

- Approval of the renewal of contracts with medical inspectors at the Ministry of Public Health.

The Council also listened to a presentation by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense on the path of progress in government reforms, and a presentation by Foreign Minister, summing up his meetings in Italy and the Vatican, regarding support for Lebanon.