Joint Parliamentary Committees reconvene over Pay Scale

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The Joint Parliamentary Committees reconvened on Thursday to hold further discussions over the Pay Scale draft law.

The committees approved an item on imposing taxes on maritime properties to finance the salary scale.

This comes as the Head of the Association of Banks in Lebanon announced the closure of banks on Friday in protest against tax measures proposed by joint parliamentary committees.

Prior to the session, MP Ali Fayyad said that what had already been achieved so far over the issue is “productive”, adding that they will continue deliberations today in regards to finding various means to fund the scale.

Fayyad noted that efforts are being deployed to put an end to the pay scale file in the next coming days.

The general authority session was held at the parliament under the chairmanship of House Speaker Nabih Berri.

Following the session, Speaker Berri stated that he may call for another session on Friday if joint committees, during their afternoon meeting, agree on the Pay Scale proposal.

The Union Coordinating Committee resumed its movements a couple of weeks ago calling on the authorities to pass the Pay Scale, which stipulates a wage hike.

The decision to revive movements came as a result of the failure of the Joint Parliamentary Committees to resolve the dispute on the Value Added Tax in a proposal aimed at securing the funds for the salary scale that was approved by former Prime Minister Najib Mikati's cabinet.

Former PM Mikati's cabinet endorsed the new salary scale for public employees in 2012, ending a long dispute that had triggered several sit-ins and strikes held by the UCC.

President Michel Sleiman signed the decree mid-June 2013 and it was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committees for further examination, however the law was never passed to parliament.

On a separate note, the parliament passed a law granting cabinet permission to produce electrical power for a period of 2 years.

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