President of the Republic Michel Aoun considered that it is required today to join efforts in order to address the stifling economic situation that citizens are suffering from, and find sustainable solutions to ease their hardship.

Aoun’s remarks came during the Council of Ministers’ session that he chaired today in Baabda to discuss the budget file. Aoun called for monitoring prices, combating high prices, applying laws and setting controls to supervise commercial activities and adhere to scientific and legal bases to determine profits and prices.

Aoun also called for continuing the programs to support the needy families, and finalize the finance card and mutual contracts for people with special needs. He pointed out the need to control the health care centers’ condition, enhance their capabilities to enable them to provide the necessary medical services, and to secure medicines for incurable diseases.

In addition, Aoun considered that the financial and economic recovery plan should include determining losses and how they are distributed, restructuring banks, recapitalizing and restructuring the Central Bank, structural reforms, and fighting corruption though forensic audit.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said: “It is vital to achieve the required reforms, whether through decrees issued by the Council of Ministers or laws approved by the Parliament.” He added that officials should join efforts to rescue the country from the painful reality it is going through, noting that revenues are almost equal to expenditures with an amount of 7,000 billion LBP to the budget reserve. The general orientation is to pay attention to social and living aspects and to facilitate the conditions of citizens and their health and care affairs.

After finalizing the budget file, Mikati stated that focused sessions will be held to study specific sectors, the most important of which are electricity, communications and waste, provided that the economic recovery plan has been completed to be presented to the Council of Ministers, and after its approval, it will be presented for a wide discussion by various stakeholders.