REPORT: MP Adwan says pay scale committee seeks balance for the sake of all parties

A meeting was held on Monday between Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Deputies Georges Adwan, Ghazi Youssef, and Jamal Jarrah at the Ministry of Finance to discuss the dossier related to the series of ranks and salaries before presenting it on Wednesday to parliament.

Following the meeting, MP Adwan stressed that the salaries of the public sector employees are paid from public funds, noting that the public debt concerns all the Lebanese people and that the committee tasked with discussing the pay scale is seeking balance for the sake of all parties.

In this context, Adwan ruled out the possibility of rejecting the pay scale, pointing out that the committee is following the right path towards the benefit of the people.

He revealed that the committee will hold a meeting at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, stating that the final decision will be issued by the Parliament's general assembly.

The MP added that the revenues will be guaranteed in 2015, noting that the maximum amount is LBP 1800 billion.

For his part, Minister Ali Hassan Khalil revealed that the committee presented remarks regarding the amount of revenues required to fund the pay scale, noting that the issue of the expenses was discussed with a different approach from the one adopted during the meetings of the parliamentary joint committees.

Accordingly, the minister stressed that the committee is keen on passing the series of ranks and salaries during Wednesday’s parliament session.

Former Prime Minister Najib 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 Union Coordinating Committee.

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.


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