Shami: IMF Talks Difficult if Cabinet Doesn't Convene

Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh Shami said that "we need the approval of the Cabinet to start with the IMF's plan."

"If Cabinet doesn't convene, there would be difficulties to negotiate with the IMF," Shami said.

He added that there is a preliminary agreement on the numbers, and "we are still studying the way to treat the gap."

An IMF delegation met with Lebanese officials, Shami said, adding that the "meetings were not limited to protocols, but included policies and strategies."

"We hope a broader delegation will visit Lebanon in mid-January to discuss the details of the monetary and economic recovery program," the deputy PM said.

Shami stated that the capital control draft law is "the result of merging two draft laws submitted by the finance and justice committees, based on the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund."

"The capital control draft law aims to protect the depositor before anything else," he added.