Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee discusses detailed breakdown of 2026 draft budget

BEIRUT — The parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan held a session on Thursday to discuss the detailed breakdown of the 2026 draft budget, according to the state-run National News Agency.

The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and 23 other MPs.

After the session, Kanaan said: "Today we discussed the philosophy and vision of the budget ... the Finance Minister explained the work with the Civil Service Council regarding salaries and the possibility of creating a plan for them. The MPs responded that without reviewing salaries after the economic collapse that occurred, neither the state nor the public sector can function properly, at least to a certain extent that ensures the continuity of the public sector and allows the Lebanese state, with its institutions and administrations, to perform the minimum required."

The MP also said that the "deposit recovery plan linked to the implementation of the banking reform law has not yet been submitted by the government to Parliament, although it was promised within a month or two after the banking reform law, which did not happen." He added that the "Finance Minister hopes to present the law before the end of the year."

What the MP does not specify is that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) judged that the version of the banking resolution law, passed by Parliament in July after several amendments compared to the version initially agreed with the government, did not comply with international standards. The Cabinet therefore approved a draft law presented by the Finance Ministry, aiming to correct several provisions of this text adopted three months ago by Parliament.

The IMF is also opposed to any measure aimed at seizing part of deposits based on legitimacy criteria unrelated to their legality, and requests that the deposit restitution process start by involving the banks’ shareholders, who oppose this measure and are supported by some members of Parliament.