LEBANON (Enmaeya News) - November 15, 2025

The Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, led by Ibrahim Kanaan, convened on Thursday to scrutinize the detailed breakdown of the draft 2026 budget, the National News Agency reported.

The session included Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and 23 Members of Parliament. 

Kanaan said the committee discussed “the philosophy and vision of the budget,” including the ministry’s coordination with the Civil Service Council on salaries and the development of a longer-term pay plan. He cautioned that “without reviewing salaries after the economic collapse… neither the state nor the public sector can function properly.” 

A key focus was on a promised deposit recovery plan tied to the banking reform law. Kanaan noted that the government has not yet submitted the plan to Parliament despite a pledge to do so within a month or two of passing the law. “The Finance Minister hopes to present the law before the end of the year,” he said. 

The bank reform law passed in July included amendments criticized by the International Monetary Fund for falling short of global standards. The IMF has also rejected measures to seize deposits on legitimacy grounds rather than legality, and insists that the restitution process must start with banks’ shareholders.

Committee members stressed the urgency of finalizing the budget. With Lebanon facing a fragile economy and shrinking public-sector capacity, salary adjustments and banking reform are seen as vital to ensuring the stability of government functions and safeguarding institutional continuity.

The committee’s work signals a push to align the 2026 budget with reform priorities and external financial obligations and sets the stage for the next critical phase: parliamentary approval.