Kanaan: The 2023 Budget is Outside Constitutional and Financial Deadlines, "What Has Been Spent has Been Spent"

Deputy Ibrahim Kanaan, head of the Finance and Budget Committee, told "Nidaa al-Watan": "We may not discuss the entire 2023 budget as it is outside the constitutional deadline and arrived at the end of the fiscal year, making it a fait accompli. Therefore, what has been spent has been spent, and what has been collected has been collected! There will be a general discussion, and the decision will be taken by the deputies after listening to the Minister of Finance according to the internal regulations." Kanaan had called for a session to be held next Monday to discuss the 2023 budget draft, which includes Article 25 related to the income tax on capital revenues (commonly referred to as the CRS tax), which has sparked significant controversy. Consequently, Kanaan confirmed that he is originally against Article 25 of the budget, which will also be discarded and not taken into account. This article had caused a debate in the Council of Ministers, with the possibility of amendments, noting that "what has happened has happened" as the entire budget has been sent to the Parliament.