BEIRUT (Xinhua) – Lebanon's parliament on Tuesday endorsed the 120-million-U.S.-dollar World Bank loan for the health sector after a heated debate.
"We should benefit from these loans at low interest rates since our revenues are very limited," caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.
This loan is part of the World Bank's broader strategy to support the Lebanese government's efforts to reduce the social and economic impact of the Syrian crisis on vulnerable communities.
Interest rate on the loan stands at only 0.25 percent and the health care projects will be implemented within 5 years.
The services offered by the medical centers of the Health Ministry and public hospitals will improve thanks to the loan, local news agency Almarkazia reported.
The Kataeb Party expressed its reservation about the loan, citing that it will contribute to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, as they will never think about returning to their homeland as long as favorable living conditions are provided to them in Lebanon.
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said that the loan will mostly benefit Lebanese citizens.
"Syrian refugees will also benefit from this program. We have absolutely no problem with that. We don't want these people to die in Lebanon and this issue is not political but purely economic," he said.