Finance Minister Mohammad Chattah on Wednesday said Lebanon’s problems were no secret, “whether in the electricity sector, suffered by citizens every day, or state finances, which will cost the country large sums, frightening figures of up to 2.5 billion dollars.”
After meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri at the latter’s residence in Ain al-Tineh, Chattah said he looked forward to hearing the cabinet’s plans for the coming period and their list of priorities.
Chattah said he prioritized the need to increase wages. “There are decisions on minimum wages in the private sector first, and it is the government”s duty to handle minimum wages.” As for the public sector, Chattah said the cabinet would form a bill to be passed by the House of Representatives.
And on whether the government intended to request President Michel Sleiman discuss certain topics during his visit to Damascus, Chattah said the ministerial statement itself indicated a number of issues to be raised by the president in Damascus, particularly Lebanese-Syrian relations.
“Of course, these issues need not be limited to discussion in Damascus on these topics,” he noted.