Diab adopts failed budget of previous government
The Lebanese National Bloc Party asserted that the natural process of creating government budgets is the following: First: the government should diagnose the current economic and social situation in the country. Second: based on the diagnosis, a plan should be created to deal with crisis. Third: the budget should reflect and serve the plan.
The Bloc said that the former government did not go through this process, nor did the parliamentary committees that studied the budget; instead they were satisfied with a mathematical equation that decreased and changed the numbers. In its statement, the Bloc said that the only standard used for the budget was a quota system between the parties in power, allowing them to continue the process of waste in their respective ministries.
The National Bloc warned of the current Prime Minister Diab’s adopting the budget of the previous government, a government that in its own words admitted to:
First: “overtly taking advantage of the state apparatus”, in the way of random patronage hiring.
Second: “no party is fully aware of the size of the country’s arrears”.
Third: “the ministry of finance does not have a clear picture of the number of public schools nor the numbers of teachers in those schools”.
Fourth: "despite spending thousands of billions, the state has no clear idea of all the projects implemented in its favor”.
Fifth: “Payment of large amounts of additional money to contractors”. This only to name a few of the statements made by the former government.
The Bloc said that the current Prime Minister, who announced fighting against corruption as his priority, has adopted a general budget that reduces the funds allocated to auditing bodies such as the “Audit Bureau”, the “Central Inspection
Bureau” and the “Civil Service Council”. The general budget has instead increased the funds for “Clothing” by 23% in 2020, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Bloc indicated that the prime minister adopted, while announcing fighting corruption as a priority, a general budget that reduced all budgets of the oversight bodies from the “Audit Bureau” to the “Central Inspection” and “Civil Service Council” in exchange for an increase in the budget of “clothes” in presidencies and ministries By 23% in 2020 compared to that in 2019! This is also the tip of the iceberg.
The Bloc sees that the government regaining the trust of the people and investors in this way will be impossible. It will also be difficult to earn the trust of the donors, who will only help through difficult conditions that will undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty.
The Bloc asserted that the alternative has been evident since October 17; and it is to form an independent government of proficient specialists.
In conclusion of its statement, the Bloc said that alternative rescue plans are available, and that it has published a detailed one of those plans on its website.