Berri Hopes Permanent Solution to Payment of Public Employee Salaries Will Be Reached

Speaker Nabih Berri revealed that the agreement on paying the salaries of public sector employees was reached with Prime Minister Tammam Salam during a meeting they held earlier this week, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Friday.

He told his visitors on Thursday: “Cabinet reached a short-term solution to the issue, but we hope that a permanent one will be reached.”

He voiced his commitment to adhering to a law that tackles public spending, adding that the cabinet's measure is only valid for three months.

“We cannot agree on a new agreement that does not abide by the law or a budget,” remarked the speaker.

The cabinet agreed on Thursday on paying the salaries of public employees from the Budget's reserves.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stated on Thursday: “I had said there should be no agreement without a law and that expenses require legislation. Based on this, we took our decision after the cabinet referred the draft law to parliament.”

But he reiterated his calls for adopting a law in this regard.

“The safest solution remains heading to the parliament and opening credits, but after negotiations with different blocs, it has been decided to transfer all remaining amounts in the Budget's reserves to article 13 in the Budget, which tackles the employees' salaries,” the Minister of Finance elaborated.

“This stresses again the cabinet and all forces' need to prepare a draft law and vote on it at the parliament. I kept my promise not to violate the law, not only regarding the public employees' salaries, but also in what concerns all the state's expenses,” he added.