Lebanon\'s Budget Deficit Rises to $3b

The total budget deficit in Lebanon in the first 11 months of the year amounted to $3 billion, or 52.2 percent of spending, Khaleej Times reported Wednesday, quoting Lebanon's Finance Ministry.  

This compares with the $2.1-billion deficit, equivalent to 43.5 percent of spending, that the government ran in the same period of last year, the paper said. 

It cited the deficit in November this year rose to 62.8 percent of spending, or $334 million, from 31 percent, or $150 million, in the same month of 1999 -- Albawaba.com

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