Lebanese PM Open to Amending Draft Law to Satisfy IMF

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00:00How likely is it that this law actually gets passed by the end of the year or even before the elections in 2026?

00:08Okay. Well, I can assure you that in the upcoming weeks, not before the end of the year,

00:16I hope, I mean, before mid-December, we will have this law before the, or this draft law,

00:24before the government will work hard to adopt it in the government, then, I mean,

00:32it will be beyond my capabilities. I mean, it will be in the head of parliament.

00:41But this in itself, I mean, will be an important signal that we are moving in the right direction,

00:49especially that we are also aiming to have a program with the IMF, and that's one of the key issues, I mean, with the IMF.

01:02Do you think the draft law in its current format, and I don't know all the details, right,

01:07and we're waiting to see all the details, but do you think the draft law in its current format would be acceptable to the IMF?

01:13Well, I hope, I hope so, but, I mean, it's not the Bible, it's not the Koran.

01:22Definitely will be open to amendments, changes, in order to not only satisfy the IMF,

01:30but there are also other actors that may have different inputs.

01:37So, but the process will start, actually, the process has started, I mean, we are working on this draft law.

01:44And Lebanon wants to work with the IMF.

01:46Indeed, I mean, that was part of our ministerial declaration,

01:50and we went twice to D.C., we receive every other delegation coming from the IMF.

02:02We want, I mean, to work with the IMF, it's not that we want, but, I mean,

02:07I think that we need an IMF program for itself, of course, but beyond itself, I would say,

02:15because an IMF program is like giving you, I mean, a certificate, one conduit, I will,

02:22I call it, or, I mean, it's like taking your vital signs, tell that you are going in the right direction.

02:32And when I say beyond itself, definitely, I mean, if we can get $3, $4 billion, that's not nothing.

02:40We badly need such funds, but it's a door open.

02:47I mean, when you have, if you are in a program with the IMF, I mean, for investors,

02:55whether public or private, this means that you are in good health.

03:00I mean, if you are in a program with the IMF, I mean, if you are in good health,