Khalil Says Civil Servants' Salaries under Threat

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil warned on Wednesday that more than 200,000 civil servants would not receive their salaries if the government failed to approve this year's state budget.

In remarks to As Safir daily, Khalil said: “The wages of around 225,000 civilian and military employees in the public sector are under threat starting next September if the 2015 state budget was not approved.”

There is a need for an additional extra-budgetary spending of more than 500 million Lebanese Liras based on a law passed by parliament, he added.

Khalil stressed that the budget has no technical obstacles unless “political obstacles” prevent its adoption.

The government has so far approved several provisions in the draft state budget.

The country has been without a budget for the past ten years and the cabinet has approved spending without approval from parliament.

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