Aoun Inks Decree Sending Budget to Parliament, Another Launching Extraordinary Session

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday signed a decree referring the draft 2019 state budget and the annexed budgets to Parliament.

Aoun also sent to Parliament a draft law allowing extra-budgetary spending and fund collection until June 30, 2019.

The Presidency announced later on Tuesday that Aoun had signed a decree launching an extraordinary legislative session from June 1 until October 21.

The Cabinet on Monday approved the 2019 draft state budget after weeks of haggling.

Lebanon has vowed to slash public spending to unlock $11 billion worth of aid pledged by international donors during an April 2018 conference in Paris.

Last month, Prime Minister Saad Hariri vowed to introduce "the most austere budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging fiscal deficit.

Lebanon is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public debt estimated at 141 percent of GDP in 2018, according to credit ratings agency Moody's.