As Lebanon mulls austerity measures to slash its ballooning budget deficit, President Michel Aoun insists the 2019 state budget draft gets discussed in Cabinet during its upcoming meeting next week on Thursday, said al-Joumhouria daily on Friday.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil revealed shocking figures related to salaries of some state employees, a needed revelation after a public outcry provoked by government plans to cut pays as part of strict austerity measures to counter an economic collapse.

MP Ibrahim Kanaan on Thursday said the state budget draft “must be discussed in Cabinet,” stressing that discussions must be conducted within the constitutional institutions.

In the midst of street protests rejecting the possibility of salary cuts of state employees as part of austerity measures to reduce a ballooning budget deficit, economic experts say the measure would reduce the deficit but could also trigger an economic recession, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

Public sector employees fear that the reduction of the budget deficit will come at their expense by deducting a percentage of their wages which increased after the government approved a long awaited wage scale.

President Michel Aoun on Thursday met with British Chief of Staff, General Sir Nick Carter at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, the Presidency media office said on Twitter.

Telecommunications Minister Mohammed Shuqeir warned of the consequences should Lebanon’s officials fail to take “the right decision to save the country,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

France has renewed calls on Lebanon through the French Ambassador to Lebanon Bruno Fouche to implement strict austerity measures to reduce a ballooning budget deficit and massive national debt, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

The Parliament passed on Wednesday amendments necessary to implement an ambitious plan to restructure the country's crumbling electricity sector.

Restructuring the power sector, dysfunctional since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, has been among key demands for reforms by the World Bank and international donors.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri warned Wednesday that Lebanon is heading toward an economic "catastrophe" unless the government implements strict austerity measures to reduce a ballooning budget deficit and massive national debt.

The stark warning came shortly after parliament passed amendments necessary to implement an ambitious plan to restructure the country's crumbling electricity sector. Restructuring the power sector, dysfunctional since Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, has been among key demands for reforms by the World Bank and international donors.

Lebanese University teachers, civil servants and the Union Coordination Committee staged a sit-in on Wednesday protesting a government’s proposal to cut their wages as part of measures to reduce spending and slash the budget deficit.