Prime Minister Najib Mikati said after the Cabinet session: “We can’t provide electricity and telecommunications for free, because the state does not have money anymore. If citizens say “our money are in banks” we will tell them “You are right, but we need to stand beside each other.”

In a speech that followed the ministerial session which approved the budget, Mikati said: “We must set a recovery plan that would rescue the country from this stifling crisis.” He pointed out that the recovery plan is “not easy,” but everything that has been published about it so far is “incorrect.”

Regarding the electricity Treasury Advance, Mikati described it as “a blown bucket,” and we will hold a specialized session to discuss the electricity file, and one of its first priorities is to establish a regulatory authority for the Ministry of Energy.

Regarding the customs dollar, Mikati revealed that the customs dollar decree will be calculated according to Sayrafa’s exchange rate, and will be announced by the Minister of Finance on a monthly basis, taking into account exempting goods like medicines and food commodities from customs fees.

He added that no taxes will be imposed on citizens but rather the fees of some services will be raised such as the cost of the criminal record that became 15,000, LBP, and this is a reasonable increases due to the high prices of paper.”