Prime Minister Najib Mikati chaired a meeting for the "Ministerial Committee tasked with addressing the implications of the financial crisis on public service" this afternoon at the Grand Serail. The meeting was attended by ministers Abbas Halabi, Youssef Khalil, Hektor Hajar, George Kallas, Najla Riachi, and Mustafa Bayram, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers Judge Mahmoud Makiyeh, Director-General of the Ministry of Finance George Maalouly, and advisors former minister Nicholas Nahas, Samir Daher, and Ziad Mikati.
After the meeting, Minister Hajar stated: "We discussed during the meeting the 'Aman' program and its beneficiaries. There is a group that benefited for 18 months, another group for 12 months, but assistance for the latter has stopped. There is a risk that the last group will cease to benefit from the project as it concludes its first phase on February 28, 2024. Therefore, I submitted a request to the Cabinet about ten days ago to extend the implementation period of the project. The Prime Minister and the ministers expressed their wish that I return to explain what I mean by extending the project. I informed the ministers about the importance of the matter, and they promised me that the project would be extended in the first Cabinet session next week until 2026, which means that the group that benefited for 12 months will continue to receive benefits for an additional 24 months. As for the group that benefited for 18 months, we will continue completing some routine procedures and expect to finish before the end of the month, allowing all beneficiaries to continue benefiting later since our goal is to reach 150,000 beneficiaries, enabling everyone to benefit for 24 months."
He added: "This meeting was significant for clarification and follow-up. I tell all the patient and waiting individuals who had their funds cut off after 18 months of assistance that we are making every effort between Prime Minister Mikati, the ministerial committee, the Minister of Finance, and the World Bank to expedite the process. I am trying to break the administrative routine to reach our goal, and I hope to have good news for everyone by the end of the month."
In response to a question, he said: "Today's focus was specifically on the 'Aman' program, but I also touched on the repercussions of the war in the south and the need for the ministerial committee to convene to respond to the crisis in the south. The situation is delicate and requires a political approach as well. The committee involves the Ministers of Education, Health, Social Affairs, and several other ministers concerned with the file. We also discussed the social strategy after signing it and the necessity of its implementation."
The Prime Minister then met with Minister of Youth and Sports George Kallas. He also met with Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil in the presence of the Director-General of the Ministry, George Maalouly.
### Red Cross
The Prime Minister welcomed the Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, in the presence of the International Red Cross representative in Lebanon, Simon Karabianaka Echeleman, and political advisor Shawqi Amin al-Din. They discussed the work of the Red Cross in southern Lebanon to support the resilience of the people there and empower hospitals with medicines and emergency medical supplies. During the meeting, Carboni praised the role of the Lebanese Red Cross despite the many challenges it faces in various Lebanese regions. For his part, the Prime Minister commended the efforts of the Lebanese Red Cross as a model national volunteer organization serving all Lebanese.
### Ambassador of Argentina
The Prime Minister received the Ambassador of Argentina Maria Virginia Ruiz Kintar, and they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries.
### MP Shehayeb
The Prime Minister welcomed MP Akram Shehayeb.
### Bishop of Cyprus
The Prime Minister received the Archbishop of the Maronite Archdiocese of Cyprus, Bishop Saleem Sfeir, who presented several demands related to the Maronites in Cyprus.
### Tripoli Doctors Syndicate
The Prime Minister welcomed a delegation from the Tripoli and North Doctors Syndicate headed by Dr. Muhammad Nadeem Safi, who presented several demands related to the syndicate and the health reality.
### Internal Security Forces
The Prime Minister also received the Director-General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad Othman.
