Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he was optimistic about the coming phase in Lebanon, and confident the country would recover from its difficult economic situation and prosper, a statement from his office reported Saturday evening.
In a meeting with a delegation of the Higher Islamic Council at his Downtown Beirut residence, Hariri said he expected growth in the tourism sector in particular after Saudi Arabia in February lifted a travel warning for Lebanon, saying he hoped other Gulf countries would follow.
After Saudi Arabia issued the travel warning in November 2017, several Gulf countries issued or renewed advisories against travel to Lebanon, including Kuwait and Bahrain.
The premier said the 2019 state budget would have to introduce austerity measures to boost the economy, stressing the need for reform and an end to the squandering of public funds.
The 2019 state budget has been waiting to be discussed and approved by Cabinet ministers, who must then submit it to Parliament for endorsement.
In March, Speaker Nabih Berri gave the government one and a half months to endorse the budget, after which Parliament will have the same amount of time to ratify it. In the meantime, lawmakers approved a measure to allow continuation of extrabudgetary government spending until a budget is passed.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
