Debate over New Pay Hike Ongoing as Jumblat Calls for a Balanced Formula

The ongoing debate over the controversial pay hike for public employees is the center of a heated debate among political parties as the Progressive Socialist Party called for a balanced new wage scale.

“Consultations are ongoing between the concerned parties to agree on a balanced pay hike,” PSP chief Walid Jumblat told As Safir newspaper on Thursday.

He stressed that prime concern is to achieve equilibrium between expenditures and revenues, calling on the rival parties to take into consideration the tense political developments and its impact on the economy.

Parliamentary blocs have continuously expressed their support for the employees' rights but have warned that Lebanon's ailing economy would suffer if the total funding was not reduced from LL2.8 trillion ($1.9 billion) to LL1.8 trillion ($1.2 billion).

They have also disagreed on how to raise taxes to fund the scale over fears of inflation and its affect on the poor.

Their differences have been exacerbated by the boycott of the March 14 alliance's MPs of the sessions aimed at discussing the draft-law under the excuse that parliament should not legislate in the absence of a president.

Sources told An Nahar newspaper that current discussions regarding the funding of the new pay hike are focusing on the possibility of increasing the value added tax from 10 to 11 percent.

Meanwhile, Jumblat warned of the expansion of the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant, calling for awareness among the Lebanese.

“It is enough for us to have ISIL close to our border to feel the danger.”

ISIL recently rebranded itself as the Islamic State.

The Islamic State, which last month declared a "caliphate" straddling large swathes of northern Iraq and Syria, has threatened the Christian presence in the region spanning close to two millennia.

H.K.

M.T.