Change and Reform bloc MP  Ibrahim Kanaan on Saturday voiced concern over the cabinet’s delay in transferring the 2010 state budget draft to the parliament for study and adoption, reported the National News Agency.

He said some parties are delaying the process to help other “unacceptable matters” slip through the cracks, without elaborating further. 

The budget should be comprehensive, and some issues such as foreign loans and donations have not been included, he said.     

Kanaan touched on the possible value-added tax (VAT) change, saying he does not support the increase, because it limits the purchasing power of Lebanese, especially given the country’s significant public debt.

Any proposal for a tax should be official and backed by its potential benefits, he said, in reference to Article 81 of the constitution, which states that an increase in tax should be proposed in a separate draft bill.   

-NOW Lebanon