Mikati's inability to increase salaries of military to avoid inflation

The Cabinet approved on Wednesday the decrees for salary increases, covering various categories of public sector employees, under conditions that notably include proof of attendance for a minimum of 14 actual workdays.

Informed sources affirmed that the raises and allowances would double the salary mass and wages by 70 to 100%, depending on the circumstances, pushing the total monthly amount above LBP 10 trillion.

This article is originally published in, translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al Watan.

Despite hopes pinned on the Cabinet session, the government's decisions did not include active-duty military personnel and retirees. The raises for the public sector made employee pensions range between $400 and $1200.

However, this did not extend to the military, with the new salary for active-duty soldiers at $250 and retirees at $150.

According to sources from "Nidaa Al Watan," Prime Minister Najib Mikati informed security forces' leaders of the inability to increase further to avoid inflation, promising a new raise in June to address the military's concerns. Overnight, military retirees rejected the government's proposal and threatened escalation.