A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil has called for reducing the budget deficit by 2.5 percent each year for the next five years, when in fact he had said the deficit-to-GDP ratio could be cut by 2.5 percent in 2019. It also said the budget deficit for 2018 was $7.6 billion. While final figures have not yet been released, the 2018 deficit is estimated to reach just $6.7 billion. The Daily Star regrets the errors.