Kanaan: My Proposal on Transportation Allowance is More Comprehensive than De Freij’s

Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan stated that his proposal on the transportation allowance provides the basis for a long-term solution, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

He told the daily: “My suggestion is more comprehensive than Mustaqbal MP Nabil de Freij’s and it also proposes that the allowance does not have to be part of the employee’s wage.”

“The issue goes beyond the transportation allowance and we hope that it will be followed up with future steps,” said Kaaan.

“My proposal is the culmination of objective studies and it meets the expectations of employers and their employees,” he stressed.

Speaker Nabih Berri had included Kaaan and de Freij’s proposals on the transportation allowance on parliament’s agenda for Wednesday.

The Mustaqbal MP has sought to find a way out for the cabinet dispute over the transportation and education allowances by proposing an urgent draft law to be discussed by parliament on Wednesday.

According to al-Liwaa newspaper published on Friday, de Freij’s proposal to set the amount of the transportation and education allowances might force the cabinet to endorse the draft law, ending the three-week crisis.

The dispute centers on Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas’ refusal to sign a government-approved decision on the transportation allowance.

Kanaan added that his proposal is still open to the government’s suggestion over how it can be implemented “so that it would not be considered unconstitutional and unjust against employees.”

The MP had held talks on Saturday with Berri as a follow up meeting to the speaker’s talks with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Friday.

“The talks between Berri and Aoun pave the way for resolving the dispute,” said Kanaan.

“Aoun insists on finding legal solutions to disputes and not settlements,” the MP told the daily An Nahar on Sunday.