BEIRUT, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced on Friday that the parliament passed the 2019 state budget after several sessions held by the government and the parliament over the past few months, local TV Channel LDC reported.
"This is only the beginning of reforms ... We will be working on the 2020 budget hoping to be able to get over with it by October this year," Hariri said after a parliament session held to vote on the budget.
He also showed his understanding about the concerns of retired military personnel about their salaries, saying the government is doing its best to overcome the economic challenges in the country.
Retired military personnel have been holding protests for the past three days against cuts of their end-of-service benefits in the 2019 budget.
Lawmakers endorsed an income tax on pensions for high-income veterans with salaries of 3.5 million Lebanese pounds (2,321 U.S. dollars) and upwards.
Moreover, a 1.5-percent reduction from the veterans' pensions would be used to fund their healthcare.
The protests turned violent on Friday as retired military personnel clashed with the Lebanese army when attempting to cut barbed wires placed on the different entrances leading to the Lebanese parliament.
Other measures in the 2019 budget include a tax of 3 percent on imported goods that are subject to Value Added Tax, excluding oil products, industrial and agricultural equipment and raw materials.
