The International Monetary Fund has demanded the necessity of forming a new Lebanese government with a clear mandate, in order to immediately initiate the implementation of economic reforms that are urgently needed in order to extricate Lebanon from its financial crisis.
The IMF reveals that the donor countries will not offer a helping hand to Lebanon, which is mired in debt, unless Lebanese politicians address the problems of corruption and waste, as they are the main cause of the collapse.
In this context, IMF spokesman Jerry Rice said, "It is necessary to form a new government immediately and with a strong mandate to implement the necessary reforms, given that the challenges facing Lebanon and the Lebanese people are greater than usual, and this reform program is much needed."
Rice stressed that the fund is not discussing a program with Beirut at this time, but it provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Finance and some state entities.
Saad Hariri was assigned to form the government in October, but since then, he has been at odds with President Michel Aoun over its components. It is worth noting that a meeting between them ended in a public sparring last week to discuss the new government.
Source (Al-Arabiya.net website, Edited)
