Comments on Lebanon's subsidies in Reuters, 9 Oct 2020

Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments appeared in the Reuters article titled “‘We’re scared’: Lebanon on edge as time and money run out“, published 9th October 2020.
Comments are posted below:
“Everything that happened since last October could have been avoidable,” Nasser Saidi, a former vice central bank governor, told Reuters.
He said targeted aid to the poorest Lebanese would be more effective than subsidies across the board, which had benefited smugglers taking goods into Syria.
“It’s all kicking the can down the road. What should have been done is a full economic and financial plan,” Saidi said.