Kanaan criticizes draft budget for lack of vision, weak oversight funding
1/27/2026 12:47:31 PM
Head of Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee Ibrahim Kanaan, speaking as the first lawmaker during the plenary debate on the draft state budget, said the committee observed a clear absence of an economic and social vision in the proposal referred to it, as well as low allocations for oversight bodies tasked with monitoring state institutions.
Kanaan noted that the committee suspended discussion of the chapter on "program laws," requesting a comprehensive government evaluation of their feasibility and implementation, stressing that the random adoption of such programs was among the causes of Lebanon’s financial collapse.
The lawmaker pointed out that most ministries and public institutions requested increased allocations, reflecting what he described as the government’s haste in submitting the draft budget and a breach of the principle of ministerial solidarity. He added that sensitive financial laws require careful study, citing the budget and the financial gap law, which even the IMF raised remarks about.
Kanaan called for a new public-sector salary scale, arguing that economic damage stemmed from random hiring, waste, and the absence of judicial rulings in files referred by the committee. He also demanded a full audit of treasury advances, criticized unpaid advances lacking documentation, and warned against unchecked funds and the absence of proper state accounts.
Kanaan noted that the committee suspended discussion of the chapter on "program laws," requesting a comprehensive government evaluation of their feasibility and implementation, stressing that the random adoption of such programs was among the causes of Lebanon’s financial collapse.
The lawmaker pointed out that most ministries and public institutions requested increased allocations, reflecting what he described as the government’s haste in submitting the draft budget and a breach of the principle of ministerial solidarity. He added that sensitive financial laws require careful study, citing the budget and the financial gap law, which even the IMF raised remarks about.
Kanaan called for a new public-sector salary scale, arguing that economic damage stemmed from random hiring, waste, and the absence of judicial rulings in files referred by the committee. He also demanded a full audit of treasury advances, criticized unpaid advances lacking documentation, and warned against unchecked funds and the absence of proper state accounts.