Prime Minister Najib Mikati presided over the cabinet session this followingnoon, in the Grand Serail, in which all ministers participated, except for Minister of Justice Henry Khoury, who was absent due to travel.
At the end of the session, Minister of Information Ziad Al-Makari read the decisions, and said: “At the beginning of the session, the President spoke, saying: In the past days, a series of meetings were held with the International Monetary Fund mission, during which major progress was made in approaching the basic files related to the economic recovery program that the government intends to concluded with the fund. Discussions are still going on, and God willing, we will agree on all points. Then we will present the file to the Council of Ministers, in parallel with completing the required reforms from Lebanon, approving draft laws and proposals, and issuing related decrees.
His state added: It is true that we are facing a more difficult social and economic reality that the Lebanese suffer from, but we will certainly not give up and we will continue to work in order to put the country on the path of recovery, in cooperation with everyone, and what the Deputy Prime Minister said in this regard, was aimed at inviting everyone to cooperate to get out of reality. The difficulty we live in, and the description of this reality in a scientific way.
And his state continued: I am surprised by the uproar that accompanied this speech, which was intended with the aim of spreading panic and despair and despairing the Lebanese more and more, because the basis of the problem began on the day Lebanon failed to pay the bonds due, while we are in an ongoing workshop with the aim of researching how to pay all internal and external obligations. In this context, we affirm that our country possesses a lot of potentials, energies and capabilities that constitute incentives and basic factors for its revival, and it only requires that we all cooperate, especially at the level of the government and Parliament, to approve the steps and reforms that must be approved to push things forward.
His country addressed the issue of the parliamentary elections, and said: The Ministry of Interior is proceeding with the basic steps to conduct this entitlement on time, and in the best conditions that ensure the integrity of the vote and the complete impartiality of the state and its organs. The decrees related to the laws related to the financing of the electoral process were signed this morning, following we received it yesterday from the honorable Parliament, and we referred them to the Presidency of the Republic, and it will follow, God willing, its path to implementation to complete this entitlement. As for the talk of questioning the elections and talking regarding administrative and logistical obstacles that may hinder its holding, it is just talk and analysis. This event will take place on time, because it first constitutes a Lebanese demand and an essential step on the path of change that the Lebanese seek, and an opportunity for the Lebanese youth to express their aspirations and ambitions. This benefit is also a demand from all Lebanon’s friends, because it constitutes one of the most prominent aspects of democracy, and an additional opportunity for basic support for Lebanon to rise following the achievement of this benefit, regardless of voters’ orientations and electoral results.
The President addressed the issue of the recent security events in Tripoli, stressing the necessity of controlling security, and asked the Minister of Interior and Municipalities to hold a subsidiary meeting of the Security Council in Tripoli and to take the necessary security measures. As well as on the social issue, his state asked the competent ministers to intensify the work of the supervisory bodies to combat high prices and monopoly.
In conclusion, his state wished all the Lebanese, Muslims and Christians, who share the days of fasting and prayer, blessed holidays, and that God would restore them to everyone with goodness and blessing, and to our homeland with peace and harmony.
After the session, Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam said: “There have been reports and news in the media on the issue of wheat, and I want to reassure everyone that there is a committee responsible for food security that works at all levels to secure wheat and basic materials for the local market.”
He added: “The wheat that is imported to the private sector is the subsidized soft wheat, for which credits are opened from the Bank of Lebanon and suffices the market’s needs. Payment of overdue and new credits. I want to repeat that the market need exists, and the shipments arrived, and a large part of them entered the country, and there is a section that is still in the ships, and today we asked the Bank of Lebanon to open these credits, and as soon as the matter is completed, the flour will be delivered to the bakeries and the crisis we are experiencing will be relieved.”
He added: “We are working with the World Bank to set up a program that will provide us with coverage of wheat and some basic food staples for a period of six to eight months, in order to avoid any shortage in the market and to ensure stability. Some news was issued stating that an agreement was reached between us and the World Bank and the matter was resolved, but I denied this yesterday, and announced that we are still in the process of negotiating with the IMF. Approval of the framework agreement with the World Bank, and there is a positive and we are in the final stages. As for the last thing, oils, sugar and grains are available in the private sector, and there is no interruption in the market.”
In response to a question regarding the delay from the Banque du Liban in opening credits for wheat, he said: “There was a delay in opening credits. Since wheat is 100% subsidized, importing it goes through several stages. A prior approval is taken first, then the Ministry of Economy gives approval for it, and the money is paid following the shipments arrive in Lebanon. A delay occurred last month, which led to the delay of some ships, and since we were afraid of the disruption of wheat, we asked the private sector to import larger quantities, since we do not have wheat stores.”
The Minister of Energy and Water, Dr. Walid Fayyad, said: “It was approved today in the Council of Ministers to move forward with contracts for the construction, financing and operation of new power stations so that people can enjoy additional electricity. The Council of Ministers had approved the electricity plan in a previous session, and asked us to expedite the issue of competition and tender to solicit bids to build, convert and operate stations, and this is what we proposed today. We have obtained this approval, and it is a commendable approval because it allows competition for the major manufacturers of our energy production technology in Lebanon to set up our two plants in Deir Ammar and Zahrani as soon as possible. The work will be through the establishment, financing and operation of the station over a long period in a way that secures financing, and we in Lebanon have to pay them within a long time course with a grace period and very low interest on debt, ranging between 1 and 2 and a half percent, and it will be subject to competition and we will present the development of work in this framework to Cabinet, and this is what I pledged.”
He added: “This is a national issue par excellence, and all parties must agree on it, as it is a national necessity. The presidents insisted on it, and everyone insists on expediting it to solve the energy production crisis in Lebanon, and you know that the current crisis we are living in is more severe than the production crisis, as it is the issue of fuel, and we are working to secure additional fuel to increase feeding hours. Today, the discussion was regarding the issue of the new production according to the plan and according to a faster schedule.”
In response to a question regarding his proposal to establish an electricity plant in Selaata and rejecting this proposal, he replied: “This matter has nothing to do with the truth, as the plan envisages the establishment of 3 stations one following the other, so I did not talk regarding the third long-term station. We also avoid controversial topics, as we “want to eat grapes, not hit the guard.”
On the issue of importing gas from Egypt, he said: “It is possible to lay down all the necessary grounds, controls and demands of the international community, whether the World Bank or the US administration, and we have secured that.”
In response to a question regarding his failure to resign and informing public opinion of all the facts, he replied: “If I thought that there was no hope at all, I might have taken such a step, but I still hope for the best, and I receive international messages on a daily basis from the World Bank, and the American administration asks It is from us to complete the issue of gas in order to secure an increase in the supply hours for Electricity of Lebanon, so that the Lebanese people can enjoy additional hours of electricity. There is also a contract signed with Jordan.
He was asked regarding integrating the companies’ offers on the issue of building stations, and he replied: “To build a station and operate it, we need three very important elements, the first of which is the factory that imports the goods, the turbine and the station, and it has a globally recognized foreign international factory, and these manufacturers are the ones we want to open talks with in accordance with a decision Cabinet today to get the best kind of technology. The second element is the contractor who wants to build this station, and he brings with him a financing party. Until today, the main drawback is that the financing party has always required foreign and international payment guarantees. We received an offer from a major Chinese company for electrical undertakings without international guarantees, but rather with sovereign local guarantees, which makes us move forward with this project before approving the International Monetary Fund project, and this is a major positive aspect. What we will ask from every internationally known manufacturer is to unite with the best financier and the best contractor to give us the best cost to build and operate the plants, according to the VDF scheme, which is a master plan that must be adhered to that includes 825 megawatt power plants for each plant operating on a try fuel basis at a cost ranging between 500 and 600 One million US dollars for each station, with supplements to support the transportation network. The medium and high-voltage stations are also used to complete the system and obtain electricity.”
And Industry Minister George Bouchikian spoke and said: “I would like to talk regarding two very important decisions issued by the Council of Ministers. The first is the Kulibac decision, which is the Lebanese Accreditation Institution that has been frozen since 2004, and it has been reactivated today, and it is an essential point in the next stage in terms of the reform plan that adopts signature E, which includes everything related to university licenses and laboratories licenses that monitor all these matters, through a committee composed of general managers in ministries and specialists, which will save the Lebanese treasury and the private sector millions of dollars, and instead of paying them abroad, these funds will be transferred to the Lebanese state, on That the certificate issued by it be accredited in all countries of the world.
He added: “As for the second decision, it is related to not exporting raw materials outside Lebanon with the aim of stimulating the Lebanese industry. All raw materials that can be recycled in Lebanese factories fall within the framework of Lebanese sovereignty, which stimulates the future Lebanese industry. There are also some exceptions in terms of materials that cannot be recycled, get an export license abroad to bring a fresh dollar into the country.”
In response to a question regarding preventing the export of materials that can be recycled, he replied: “All materials that can be recycled such as cardboard, nylon, glass, plastic, leather and oils are prohibited from exporting, and it is part of the joint plan between the Ministries of Industry and Environment in a short period, to reach waste zero.”
Source: National Media Agency