House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Tuesday has declared deposits’ haircut plan “dead” before seeing the light, saying it shall meet the same fate as that of the capital control suggestion.

“You can read Al-Fatiha for the suggested haircut as you have done for the capital control proposal,” Speaker Berri said in the wake of Parliament’s Secretariat, which met today in session under his chairmanship, at his in Tineh residence.

Speaker Berri stressed that salvation is still possible though very difficult but not “impossible” if matters take the normal course.

Asked about the reform issue, Speaker Berri’s visitors quoted him as confirming that what is needed is to address the causes and consequences of the current crisis endured at the financial and economic levels. Berri also emphasized the need to proceed with reforms and  applying laws on all, especially in the issues related to corruption, public funds’ squandering, and  the issuance of required laws on condition not to tamper with depositors’ money, which is sacred.

Speaker Berri chaired on Tuesday the Parliament’s Secretariat at his Ain el-Tineh residence, in the presence of Vice Speaker Elie Firzli and Secretariat members.

Speaker Berri also met with Deputy Prime Minister, National Defense Minister, Zeina Akar Adra, with whom he discussed the general situation and most recent security and political developments.

Speaker Berri later met with Finance Minister Dr. Ghazi Wazni, with the current economic and financial situation featuring high on their talks.

Source: NNA