Head of the Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, on Friday congratulated the Lebanese on the adoption of the state budget "after 12 years". He thanked President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and all those who contributed to its approval.
Speaking at the House of Parliament, the lawmaker expressed hope that this step would pave the way for a greater reform within the 2018 state budget.
"As of this day, there shall be no excesses in budget calculations because we will practice parliamentary scrutiny," Kanaan pledged.
Moreover, Kanaan confirmed that $200 billions had been allocated to the Lebanese Central Bank to promote local industry, agriculture, and tourism "within an organized mechanism".
"From now on, there will be no more laws that fund projects that are worth billions within the budget. The projects will be monitored independently by the finance committee and will be studied at the House of Parliament," he added.
As for the savings that have been made so far, Kanaan said that LBP 155 billion have been saved from the communications sector and national lottery. He also indicated that 30% savings have been made from contributions to associations, a thing which will continue in 2018.
"Many of those arguing about auditing accounts do not know what they're saying (...). There will be no more auditing of accounts without the examination of the Court of Audit," Kanaan added.
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