Mikati: We will not be able to pay public sector salaries if credit lines are not approved

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired on Tuesday a Cabinet session and said that "today's session is being held in a tense and pressing political atmosphere on the eve of the parliamentary session to elect a president."

"We all hope that the democratic process will be carried out correctly and a president will be elected. Unfortunately, the apparent indicators suggest otherwise, indicating the continuation of divergences among the council members and parliamentary blocs, thus perpetuating the negative oscillation that prevents the completion of the constitutional institutions by electing a President of the Republic," he added.

At the beginning of the Cabinet session, Mikati said, "In the face of this great challenge, we must work to address the fundamental issues and manage the affairs of the state within the available capacities."

"We primarily seek to assist public sector employees in overcoming this difficult phase, and I am aware of the efforts made by each of you in your ministries. On the other hand, we urge public sector employees not to respond to positivity with negativity, especially since we took the initiative to pay seven salaries in advance in the previous Cabinet session. 

The remaining four salaries will be paid before the fifteenth of this month, and we are striving for the public sector to be able to continue its work," Mikati continued.

He added, "In this context, I also affirm that by the end of June, we will not be able to pay salaries if additional credit lines are not approved in Parliament, despite the availability of liquidity in the treasury accounts and good revenue collection for the state.
He also noted that May witnessed the highest revenues in a long time.

He pointed out that "a file related to promotions in the military and security ranks has been raised in the past few days, and some have sought to politicize this file."

"Based on our keenness on the military and security forces, which is equivalent to our keenness on the nation, as the military and security are two inseparable pillars, I say that this file has reached the premiership after being referred by the Ministers of Defense and Finance according to the protocols, and we will hold a session at the beginning of next week to approve this file," Mikati stressed.

"At the same time, I have corresponded with both the Minister of Interior and the Minister of Defense, and I have requested the Minister of Defense to submit a proposal to complete the appointments of the Military Council, and from the Minister of Interior, a proposal for the formation of the leadership council for the Internal Security Forces," he added.

Mikati also emphasized that the issues of promotions and appointments are separate. The file of promotions will be presented to the Cabinet for a decision in the Cabinet session at the beginning of next week.

"The file of promotions has been reconsidered after the Army Commander visited me and requested its approval because it boosts the morale of the officers. The Minister of Interior and the General Director of the Internal Security Forces also visited me and requested the approval of the file related to the Internal Security Forces," Mikati said.

He believed that "according to the National Defense Law, any vacancy in the military leadership transfers authority to the Chief of Staff, and in the absence of the Chief of Staff, we cannot speculate on what might happen."

He said, "I had previously decided that any minister who does not attend a Cabinet session, we will not present any file related to their ministry. However, yesterday I met with the Minister of Justice. He explained to me all the details regarding the appointment of state attorneys to defend the state in case any accusations are made against the Governor of the Central Bank."

"I have become convinced of the necessity to present this file to the Cabinet, bypassing the fundamental reservations regarding the requirement for the minister concerned to attend the discussion of their file because it is in the national interest."

He also announced, "On our agenda, we have the file of Syrian refugees, and I have requested the Minister of Foreign Affairs to represent Lebanon at the Brussels conference, as doctors advised me not to travel after the health setback I experienced."

"Today, we will discuss a unified working paper that reflects the position of the Lebanese government as a whole, which is a summary of the discussions and recommendations of the ministerial committee held on April 23rd. I must express my gratitude to Minister Issam Sharafeddine for his follow-up and continuous communication with our brothers in Syria regarding this file," he added.

He said, "Each of you, as ministers, contributes to preserving the state's institutions despite the difficulties and within the available resources, and I am proud that we work as one team. I invite you to continue with this pace of productivity so that together we can meet the demands and rights of the people and maintain the functioning of the state and its institutions."