October 2, 2026
The Council of Ministers will hold a session in the Government Palace at three o’clock in the afternoon today, which is considered an economic and livelihood par excellence, in light of the escalating living pressures and rising prices that burden employees, workers, and institutions.
At the top of the session’s agenda is the completion of research into the draft general budget law for the year 2027, amid popular and official anticipation of the nature of revenues, taxes and expenditures, and the extent of the budget’s ability to meet social needs without burdening citizens with additional burdens.
The Council is also discussing the Ministry of Labor’s request to approve a draft decree to amend the value of the daily transportation allowance for employees, in light of the cost of transportation depleting a large portion of salaries. This discussion comes amid widespread anticipation from workers, employers, and trade union bodies, especially since the agenda item did not specify the proposed new value for the transportation allowance.
In the energy file, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam presents a project to convert liquefied natural gas into natural gas, through a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the Deir Ammar area, according to the partnership formula between the public and private sectors. The project is of great importance because it is linked to reducing the cost of electricity production and diversifying energy sources, while raising questions about financing mechanisms, conditions of partnership, and the obligations imposed on the state.
On the investment and development level, the agenda includes a draft decree to establish the Supreme Council for Economic Zones for Technological Industries, with the aim of attracting investments and providing new job opportunities in the digital sectors.
Regarding the environmental issue, the Council is examining the Ministry of Environment’s presentation regarding the dispute with the Audit Bureau regarding the third financial contribution to the project to reduce unintended persistent organic pollutants through waste management within a circular economy. The Ministry requests that the contribution be transferred and disbursed contrary to the opinion of the Bureau, which heralds a legal and supervisory discussion regarding the file that had previously been postponed from a previous session, in addition to a package of various administrative, financial, and functional items.
Today’s session constitutes a real test of the government’s ability to translate living issues into practical decisions dealing with the files of transportation, electricity, investment, and controlling public funds.
