The Lebanese cabinet approved on Wednesday the 2012 state budget draft law and referred it to parliament to be ratified in order to avoid falling in the trap of illegal spending, the National News Agency reported.

Following its session held at Baabda presidential palace under President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Najib Miqati told reporters that the cabinet had approved the 2012 public budget.

Miqati said the pending files pertaining to the salary grid, fund plan for the Lebanese Army and public hospitalization have been put outside the frame of budget "to see the fund source for said files."

The premier also said that the taxes imposed by the new state budget will not "greatly impact" citizens, adding "the taxes are indispensable, because we cannot spend without state revenue."

Miqati meanwhile noted that there "is a deficit in the budget, but it does not exceed limits."