budget

Stocks Rally on Hopes of Chinese Stimulus and Tariff Relief

Markets rallied on Wednesday as investors welcomed China's economic targets and a U.S. official signaled that President Donald Trump could dial down tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Global stocks had tumbled on Tuesday after China, Mexico, and Canada retaliated against U.S. tariffs, and fears grew that Europe could be Trump's next target. There was ...

Government in Overdrive: A Prioritized Agenda

On Wednesday, February 26, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed his strong commitment to the new Cabinet’s agenda. “When we say we want something, it’s not a mere wish or request, but a firm pledge,” he emphasized before parliamentarians, after his government secured their confidence with 95 votes. He clarified that “the government’s ...

DOGE: A Controversial Revolution in American Administration

The DOGE, Department of Government Efficiency, is a new initiative launched by US President Donald Trump. Led by Elon Musk, this advisory body aims to significantly reduce public spending and reform the US federal administration. Presented as a revolution in government management, the DOGE generates both enthusiasm and questions regarding its ...

Budget 2025: A Review of the Figures

In the absence of a miraculous diplomatic breakthrough, there are fears that the war between Israel and Hezbollah will continue into next year, according to several reliable sources. In this scenario, economic forecasts project a GDP of $12 billion for 2025—well below that of Gaza and the West Bank. With such a figure, achieving the projected ...

Ten MPs Appeal to Constitutional Council to Overturn the Budget

Ten sovereignist MPs lodged an invalidation appeal with the Constitutional Council on Monday, challenging the State budget law for fiscal year 2024. The MPs include the Kataeb MPs Samy Gemayel, Nadim Gemayel, Elias Hankach and Salim Sayegh, the Renewal bloc MPs Michel Moawad, Achraf Rifi and Fouad Makhzoumi, and Change Coalition MPs Mark Daou, ...

Suspension of Budget Items: What Are the Consequences?

The Constitutional Council (CC) suspended on Monday the application of five articles of the budget law for fiscal year 2024, following an invalidation appeal lodged by the Lebanese Forces (LF). What does this mean in practical terms, and what are the consequences of this decision? The Constitutional Council (CC) suspended on Monday the ...

Several Ministries' Budgets Examined in Parliamentary Committees

The parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, examined the budgets of the Ministries of Justice, Environment and Youth and Sports on Tuesday. The aim was to study and approve the budgets of these ministries, as part of the review of the draft budget for fiscal year 2024, validated by the Council of Ministers on ...

The 'Hole in the Basket' Budget

Any household provider or anyone overseeing day-to-day expenses can fully comprehend that addressing the financial deficit requires either reducing expenditures or increasing revenues. Unfortunately, the Lebanese government, overshadowed by some of its members’ arrogance and defiance, erroneously believes that the budget that was drafted can be ...

El-Khalil: The 2024 Budget Guarantees Financial Stability

Caretaker Finance Minister Youssef el-Khalil asserted on Thursday that the budget draft for the 2024 fiscal year, currently under discussion in the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, “remains central to the path of correction and reform, despite the surrounding uproar.” MPs and Lebanese business organizations do not share this view. ...

Budget 2024: 70% of Government Budget Allocated to Electricity

The parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, met on Wednesday to continue its examination of the draft budget for fiscal year 2024. The draft, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on September 12, is currently before Parliament for final approval. After completing the study of the articles of the draft ...