Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — Following a cabinet session Thursday, ministers agreed to conduct a monthly transfer of LL20 billion for the hospitalization of Internal Security Forces members, and to use $35 million in IMF-allocated Special Drawing Rights to import medicines and medical supplies.
Here’s what we know:
• Cabinet agreed to transfer an appropriation of LL20 billion per month for the hospitalization of Internal Security Forces members, said Information Minister Ziad Makary.
• Makary also said after the session that $35 million in SDRs would be paid for the import of medicines and medical supplies. The Health Ministry had requested this amount from Banque du Liban to pay for medicines for incurable and chronic diseases, cancer medicines, milk and raw materials for the manufacturing of medicine.
• The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the International Monetary Fund to supplement its member countries’ official reserves.
• Energy Minister Walid Fayyad’s request to extend the exploration period to three years, asked for by rights holders in maritime blocks 4 and 9, was accepted, while his request on granting licenses to build solar power plants was not, he added.
• Discussion of a draft law that would prohibit universities and schools from setting fees in currencies other than lira was postponed. On the foreign affairs front, cabinet signed a draft customs cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.
• Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in his opening remarks to the session that he is “satisfied with the atmosphere in the government and the cooperation on the eve of the elections.”
• “The achievement we are about to witness and that will start tomorrow is the expatriate election; we commend the efforts of the Minister of Interior in completing the preparations,” he said. Lebanese overseas go to the polls to vote in the legislative elections tomorrow and Sunday, while the vote in Lebanon is scheduled to take place on May 15.
• In the session, Mikati criticized “populism in approaching some issues, including the capital control, which was established to protect deposits and depositors' rights,” and cited Greece’s experience with the IMF, saying the Greek officials were able to complete a capital control law in 10 days.
• “The capital control law is open for discussion, amendment and addition of all that is necessary,” he added.
• The cabinet met at the Grand Serail on Thursday shortly after 4 p.m. to examine a 40-item agenda.