The Cabinet approved the 2021 draft budget
law, and successive sessions will be held to approve the 2022 draft budget.
The Cabinet approved raising transportation
allowance for the public and private sectors and military and security apparatuses
and appointed the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
President Aoun: “Cabinet sessions’ interruption
negatively affected the regularity o work of the executive authority and
increased the accumulation of negative repercussions on the situation in the
country”.
President Aoun asserted that it is not
possible to issue exceptional approvals if the government has not resigned.
The President asked to start studying
living issues which concern citizens before other issues.
PM Mikati: “I hope that our sessions will
be fruitful and that we cooperate in them in a spirit of responsibility, away
from any disagreements”.
The Cabinet convened today in a session chaired by
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and attended by Prime Minister,
Najib Mikati and ministers.
The Council of Ministers approved the 2021 draft
budget law and decided to hold consecutive daily sessions to approve the 2022
draft budget law, in preparation to referring the budget to the Parliament.
In addition, the Cabinet approved a series of social
offerings and an increase in transportation allowance for the public and private
sectors, and military and security agencies, fulfilling promises to workers in
the formal educational sector.
President Michel Aoun considered that “Cabinet-session
interruption negatively affected the regularity of the work of the executive authority
and increased the accumulation of negative repercussions of the general situation”.
The President also asserted that “When the government
is not resigned, the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister cannot
issue exceptional approvals”, asking to start studying livelihood issues which
concern citizens, provided that agenda topics will be studied later.
For his part, Prime Minister Mikati indicated that “The
remaining time before parliamentary elections has become very stressful. We will
try as much as possible to accomplish basic issues which are first related to
the daily life of citizens, electricity, general budget and gas and oil”.
The Prime Minister also revealed that “Upcoming
sessions will be full of issues and basic files for all ministries and
departments”.
The session convened at 9:00am in the presence of
minister, except Justice Minister, Henry Khoury, who is on an official mission
to Iraq. The Cabinet session was preceded by a meeting between the President
and Prime Minister, during which agenda topics were deliberated , in addition
to life and livelihood issues.
Minister Halaby:
After the meeting, Information Minister, Abbas Halaby,
read the Cabinet statement:
“The Cabinet convened today in a session headed by
President of the republic, General Michel Aoun, and attended by Prime Minister,
Najib Mikati, in addition to ministers except the Justice Minister who is on an
official visit to Iraq.
At the beginning, the President welcomed the ministers
after a long interruption during which the work of the executive authority,
represented by the Council of Ministers, froze “Although ministers continued
their work individually or through ministerial committees”.
The President indicated that “Cabinet-session interruption
negatively affected the regularity of the work of the executive authority and
increased the accumulation of negative repercussions of the general situation”.
“I have previously emphasized respect for the
principle of separation of authorities in Lebanon between the executive,
legislative and judicial authorities. What had happened in the past months wasn’t
in accordance with this constitutional rule, which was reflected in many of the
essential life demands of citizens. In this regard, I would like to assert that
when the government is not resigned, the President of the Republic and the
Prime Minister cannot issue exceptional approvals” the President added.
Moreover, the President asked to start studying
livelihood issues which concern citizens, provided that agenda topics will be
studied later.
Then, the Prime Minister said “I am pleased to resume
Cabinet sessions after a break, and that the “Together to rescue” government
resumes duties seriously and effectively since present and imminent challenges
no longer allow any delay, financially, socially and economically”.
“The remaining time before parliamentary elections has
become very stressful. We will try as much as possible to accomplish basic
issues which are first related to the daily life of citizens, electricity, general
budget and gas and oil” PM Mikati continued.
“My hope is that our sessions will be fruitful and
that we cooperate in a spirit of responsibility away from differences. I also
hope that we proceed from the fact that people no longer bear the
contradictions and are bored with the differences and want productive work and
cooperation among all to extricate themselves from crises and dangers” PM
Mikati added.
“What I ask for is that the views of ministers carry
the spirit of optimism through the media in approaching all files, despite their
difficulty. I ask to avoid, as much as possible, differences which harm
ministerial solidarity, and to maintain the confidentiality of deliberations,
because any partial or false or out of context leakage will distance the
discussion in the general budget and its figures from its correct scientific
approach” the Prime Minister said.
“There are also several topics on the agenda which are
essential for running state affairs and giving the rights of people and
employees. Upcoming sessions will be full of issues and basic files for all
ministries and departments. We are also in the process of preparing for a
special Cabinet session to approve the executive decrees of the issued laws. Through
constructive cooperation, we can achieve a lot. This is at the heart of our
work and direction” PM Mikati concluded.
Afterwards, the Council of Ministers began studying agenda
topics, and decided to approve:
- A draft decree aimed at giving temporary social
assistance to workers in the public sector (including government hospitals and
the Lebanese University), municipalities, the Federation of Municipalities and
anyone who receives a salary, wage, or allowances from public funds, in
addition to retirees who benefit from a retirement pension, and to give the
Ministry of Finance a treasury advance for this aim.
- A draft decree aiming to amend the value of the
daily transportation allowance for the private sector in the amount of 65,000
Lebanese Liras for each day of actual attendance, plus an education grant.
- A draft decree aiming to amend the value of the
temporary transportation compensation for public sector workers to reach 64,000
Lebanese Liras for each day of actual attendance.
- A draft decree aiming to give a monthly lump sum
transfer compensation of one million and 200 thousand Liras to the military in
the army, internal security forces, public security, state security, customs
officers and parliament police.
-Extension of work in the temporary staff and the
effect of decisions and contracts of temporary employees and contractors of
various names.
-Adjusting the teaching wages for those contracting to
teach in public schools and secondary schools, and vocational and technical
education institutes.
- Appointing the National Anti-Corruption Commission
according to the following: Judge Claude Karam as President, Lawyer Mr. Fawaz
Kabbara as Vice President, Judge Therese Allawi and Messrs’ Ali Badran, Joe
Maalouf and Kleib Kleib as members.
-Postponing the decision on the draft internal and
financial regulations of the National Commission for Human Rights, including
the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, in order to ensure the presence of
Minister of Justice in the next session.
The Council of Ministers also approved all the items
on its agenda.
After that, the Cabinet approved the draft general
budget law for the year 2021, and a draft law aimed at authorizing the
collection of imports as in the past and the disbursement of expenditures
starting from the first of February 2022 until the issuance of the budget law
for the year 2022, on the basis of the 12th rule.
As a result, the Council of Ministers began studying
the draft general budget law for the current year. The Minister of Finance
presented a detailed presentation on the foundations that were adopted, the
positive reasons and the positive points of the project, provided that the
Council, in successive daily sessions that will be held in the Grand Serail
starting tomorrow, will thoroughly study the draft budget, preparing for
referral to the Parliament.
Questions & Answers:
Question: Were you able to read the budget as a minister representing
political forces, and do you agree with it?
Answer: “The Finance Minister presented the initial conception
of how to draw up the draft budget, based on the existing situation and what
the project would achieve if it was approved as it is. Today, we presented the
vision of this project, provided that it follows that all ministers present
their opinion on each separate item and paragraph. The Prime Minister confirms
that the budget study will be item by item, paragraph by paragraph and article by
article. Therefore, no matter how long it takes, the project will be approved
as soon as possible, provided that the last session will be at Baabda Palace
for final approval and referral to the Parliament”.
Question: Was the appointment of the National Anti-Corruption
Commission easily approved?
Answer: “I would like to point out that the atmosphere of
understanding in the session was at a very high level, dealing positively, and
taking and responding constructively, and it was a special session for this
large number of the agenda to pass through, but the pause will be on the issue
of the budget”.
Question: Some described the budget as unfair and sterile, and
that it meets the conditions of the IMF more than the needs of citizens?
Answer: “In my opinion, people rushed to give descriptions of
this project. At the same time that the 1200-page was distributed, the budget
began to be attacked. Everyone should calm down and allow the Cabinet to have
its say. If the Council approved the budget, it will not find its way to implementation
except through the Parliament”.
Question: When is the date of meeting with the IMF?
Answer: “At 4:00pm today, the first introductory session will
be held. Lebanon has done what it should, through the draft budget, which,
unlike what was corrected negatively, at least secures economic growth for this
year and the next year”.
Question: Was the Kuwaiti demands-paper tackled?
Answer: “It was not discussed, but the Prime Minister
reflected the positivity brought by the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, and the
Cabinet expressed its satisfaction with what was presented by the President”.
Question: Who will respond to the paper?
Answer: “This is a matter related to the Prime Minister, and
the concerned Minister, i.e. the Foreign Affairs Minister”.
Formal Education Sector Workers:
Minister Halaby, as Minister of Education, addressed
the workers in the educational sector and said:
“The Cabinet approved the monthly social grant and
decided to raise the compensation for daily attendance known as the transportation
allowance, and also approved doubling the hourly wages for contractors.
We had previously provided them with a grant from
donors of $90 per month linked to attendance, in addition to the funds that
were transferred to public school funds. During the session, I offered the
possibility of including contractors in formal and professional education in
exchange for attendance and a social grant, and we gained the support of the
Council of Ministers, and the Minister of Finance will study the matter to
issue a decision in this regard or a new proposal to be presented to the
Council.
Based on that, the Council of Ministers has done what
it was supposed to, which means that the promises have been fulfilled despite
the distress the country is experiencing at all levels. Therefore, I call on
all professors, teachers, contractors, their assistants, mechanization workers,
guards, and servants in schools and high schools, and official professionals,
to return to schools starting tomorrow morning, and make efforts to compensate
for the great loss incurred by the school year as a result of strikes, school
closures and the loss of an entire semester.
I call on them to know that education is a sacred
message upon which the dreams of generations, the policies of nations, and
plans for change, development and advancement are built, so do not let anything
hinder the completion of curricula after today, and preserve your safety and
the safety of students, parents and society, through the application of the
health protocol and global standards to protect against the epidemic.
We also presented issues related to the Lebanese
University, and I requested that the Council of Ministers allocates, and very
soon, a session to study the issue of appointing deans”.
Minister Statements After the Session:
Prior to their departure from the Presidential Palace
after the session ended, some ministers had a chat with journalists.
Finance Minister, Youssef Khalil, announced in
response to a question that the customs dollar would be calculated according to
the price approved on the “Sayrafa” platform.
Energy Minister, Walid Fayyad, when asked about the
date of signing the expected agreements for energy import, indicated that “Lebanon
will sign next Wednesday two agreements: one with Jordan to supply energy and
the other with Jordan and Syria to import energy through Syrian territories”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Abdullah
Bou Habib, in response to a question about the date of the response to the
Kuwaiti paper, stated that discussions will begin today, and that the response
will be ready before next Saturday.