Khalil: Lebanon's 2017 State Budget Will be Ready on Time

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed on Thursday that Lebanon's state budget for the year 2017 will be ready before the constitutional due date, al-Joumhouria daily reported.

“I am in the process of reaching the final stages in preparing the state's financial plan. It will be presented to the cabinet as soon as a session is set to discuss it,” said Khalil in an interview to the daily.

“I am going to do this task to the fullest and as fast as I can,” assured Khalil, highlighting the necessity to urge the other political parties set to handle the budget plan to accelerate the discussions.

However Khalil refused to judge the intentions of officials and whether some are trying to hamper the approval of a budget, he said: “I will do what I have to do and let the other political parties bear the responsibility in that regard.”

The cabinet convened on Monday and tackled the need to stipulate a state budget in light of a worsening financial and economic situation in the country.

Due to conflicts between the rival political parties, Lebanon has not approved a state budget since 2005 and its public debt has amounted to around $70 billion.