Salaries, social security, pensions and educational cooperation were the focus of Monday's meeting of the Price Index Commission, chaired by Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar. The goal: to move beyond symbolic discussions and take action.
At the end of the meeting, Minister Haidar told the press that these meetings will continue until December in order to reach concrete decisions on several major issues.
“We discussed several topics in a spirit of frankness and calm,” he said. The first topic discussed was the increase in the minimum wage, which has now been published in the Official Journal. While everyone agrees that this increase is still insufficient to guarantee a decent standard of living, it is considered a necessary step in a broader process.
The meeting also focused on the general economic situation, which is considered critical both inside and outside the country. It was agreed to hold bilateral inter-sectoral meetings starting in September to develop solutions regarding wages, social benefits and the situation of retirees.
A large part of the meeting was devoted to the draft pension bill, which Mr. Haidar considers an absolute priority for resolving a structural crisis: “It is time to speed up the adoption of this text and its implementing decrees to guarantee a monthly income for retirees and relieve the economic sectors.”
For his part, CNSS Director Mohammad Karaki outlined the efforts undertaken to improve social security services. He noted that medical coverage has been strengthened, relations with private hospitals have been improved through the granting of monthly advances covering 75% of bills, and discussions are underway to involve insurance companies in covering the remaining costs, in order to guarantee comprehensive health protection for insured persons.
Another point discussed was the increase in family allowances and the extension of health coverage to new medical services.
In addition, Minister Haidar and Father Joseph Abou Rached signed a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Labor and the Antonine Fathers Technical Institute, in the presence of officials from both institutions. The objective of this agreement is to establish a basis for sustainable collaboration through the exchange of expertise and know-how, the organization of joint free training courses, the provision of specialized technical services, and the holding of seminars and workshops in technical areas of common interest.
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