Mikati affirms confidence in Acting Governor's plan amidst budget discussions

The caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced that the agenda will be postponed to the next session, and the discussion will be limited to the budget law with the hope of completing it during this session.

As for the 2024 budget, it is currently being prepared to be discussed concurrently with finalizing the 2023 budget, and the decision will be up to the Parliament whether to merge both budgets or study them separately.

During the opening of the Cabinet session, the Prime Minister also stated that the Education Minister requested the issuance of a decree for holding extraordinary exam sessions for intermediate and secondary school certificates, considering the time constraints.

Regarding recent media reports, Mikati clarified that they are unrelated to the truth. He had a lengthy meeting with the Acting Governor of the Banque du Liban (BDL) on Saturday, and they reached an agreement on a clear plan.

In addition, the Prime Minister expressed confidence in the Acting Governor and the plan. He noted that the Finance Minister is currently exploring the most suitable and expeditious approach to address the matter. He also requested the Finance Minister to provide accurate numbers related to special drawing rights, as they want to avoid any issues regarding salaries and medicines in August.  

The goal is to account for all the amounts spent and their allocation clearly.

In response to the warning statements issued by Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), Mikati emphasized that the security agencies' data does not indicate any exceptional security situation. He mentioned that there is unrest in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp.

On Sunday, Mikati held a lengthy meeting with the Palestinian leadership in Lebanon and Lebanese security officials, and they agreed on a specific mechanism that the Palestinians will adhere to, leading to a statement from the Palestinian side on this matter.