Economist Ghazi Wazi warned that Lebanon is going through a liquidity crisis, noting that the latest government measures to contain it were only “temporary,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

Lebanon’s oil importing companies announced Friday evening that they will resume delivering fuel to stations and distributors as of Saturday morning and that they will get paid in Lebanese pound, hours after distributors and the owners of stations declared an open-ended strike.

The agreement was reached in a meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and a delegation from the importing companies.

British Minister of State for the Middle East and International Development Andrew Murrison ended a two-day visit to Lebanon on Friday, reiterating the UK’s “long-term commitment to supporting a strong and prosperous Lebanon” and announcing “over $41 million towards Lebanese host communities and refugees alike,” the British embassy said.

During his visit, Murrison met with President Michel Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, MPs and senior business leaders. He also visited UK aid funded projects up and down the country supporting Lebanese host communities, with a focus on economy, education, demining, refugees and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil on Friday stressed that it is necessary to “refer the (2020) state budget to Parliament within a week,” in order to respect the constitutional deadline.

Sport and Youth Minister Mohammed Fneish of Hizbullah meanwhile said his party and its allies have tackled the issue of exporting via Syria’s al-Boukamal border crossing “from an economic angle, which is how Lebanon can benefit from this border crossing.”

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil have agreed on the need to secure economic stability in the country, during a meeting that was held overnight, Hizbullah announced on Friday.

A statement issued by the party’s media department said the “lengthy” meeting tackled the regional and local developments and was held in the presence of Wafiq Safa, the head of Hizbullah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit.

In a move aimed at easing concerns over the demand for dollars amid a worsening economic crisis, Central Bank governor Riad Salmeh on Friday affirmed the "stability" of Lebanon’s monetary sector and the "availability" of dollars in the market.

A scuffle erupted on Friday between the security forces and activists from the Sabaa party who stormed into the Parliament building in Nejmeh Square reportedly by force.

The protesters staged a sit-in inside the parliament hall demanding early parliament elections and the return of “looted” public funds.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Friday emphasized that Lebanon’s ailing economic crisis needs “drastic reforms,” saying the Premier’s efforts to get aid for Lebanon from foreign countries will eventually go in vain amid lack of reforms.

President Michel Aoun held a meeting at Baabda on Friday with visiting UK delegation led by British Secretary of State for the Middle East and North Africa Andrew Morrison for talks on bilateral relations between Lebanon and the UK, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday that he agreed with President Michel Aoun to convene the so-called “emergency committee” that was formed in the September 2 economic meeting in Baabda should the approval of the 2020 state budget be delayed beyond next week.

“I was honored to meet the President, and the session was more than good, rather excellent, and it tackled all the current topics, especially the monetary and financial issue and the issue of the state budget, in addition to the events in the South and in the region,” Berri said after the talks.