Finance Minister Yassin Jaber stressed, “The government is committed to following responsible policies that balance social and economic requirements on the one hand and protect financial and monetary stability on the other hand.”
Minister Jaber’s statement came in conjunction with the start of technical talks between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund, which began today at the Ministry of Finance. These talks come as part of a visit by a delegation from the Fund to Lebanon, which will last for a week and aims to learn about the latest developments on the financial and monetary levels.
Minister Jaber said, “The Fund delegation’s visit comes at a precise time in light of the challenges facing Lebanon as a result of increasing spending pressures, such that any ill-considered step will put public finances on an unsustainable path, and its repercussions will subsequently affect the economic situation and its stability.”
He stated: “The Lebanese government is counting on the discussions with the Fund to achieve tangible progress towards reaching a staff-level agreement, which will constitute a basic starting point for reviving the Lebanese economy and putting it on the path to recovery.”
He pointed out, “The delegation’s visit will also focus with the relevant Lebanese authorities on the draft law to address the financial gap, in addition to the medium-term public finance framework, which constitute two essential factors for reaching a program with the International Monetary Fund.”
In a separate context, Minister Jaber met with the head of the Audit Bureau, Mohamed Badran, where the progress achieved in the audits of previous accounts carried out by the Bureau was reviewed. He also met with the head of the Doctors Syndicate in Beirut, Elias Shalala.
