Economic Committees Declare Total Rejection of Wage Scale Plan
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Economic Committees, a grouping of the country's businessmen and owners of major firms, on Thursday announced their rejection of “any decision issued by cabinet on the new wage scale,” warning that the government’s plan “will inflict heavy losses on the public and private sectors.”
Following an emergency meeting over “the consequences of the approval of the new wage scale on the economy and Lebanese people,” the Committees voiced “rejection of any decision issued by cabinet on the new wage scale, especially that the circulated numbers about its cost are totally unrealistic and would inflict heavy losses on the public and private sectors.”
The new wages will be paid in full, but over a five-year period, starting from July 1, said Prime Minister Najib Miqati. He added that some of the suggestions over the sources of the funding had been approved, while the remainder will be studied by Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi, reported LBCI.
The Syndicate Coordination Committee, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, had held a nationwide strike on Thursday to protest the cabinet’s delay in approving the new wages scale.
The state’s treasury will have more than $1.2 billion to cover as there are over 180,000 public sector employees including military personnel.
The government plans to boost the treasury’s revenue to cover the expenses of the salaries boost through several proposals including the implementation of a hike on taxes on land parcels and sea properties.
The Economic Committees warned against “tampering with the economic security, which is as important as stability and civil peace.”
“The government’s imposing of further direct taxes on economic institutions and citizens will lead to an explosion. Thus, the only acceptable solution lies in implementing any increase in a gradual way and financing it through stopping the squandering of public money and sparing the economy any further burdens,” the Committees added.
06 September 2012, 22:47
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You want to invent new taxes to scare away investors you morons? What about reducing hiring in the public sector? What about pushing this oil file? Amal and HA are going to bankrupt the country.
07 September 2012, 00:43
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The gov should stop interfering with the private sector and focus on public employment gangrening our country's development.
07 September 2012, 06:58
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Guys i think this has to be reconsidered, i dont support this governement but i think first of all, our private sector lacks of values and ethics towards employees. I mean come on, people that gradutate are paid like people that never graduated, students are used as baits by compagnies that play with the studentflow each year in order to get free labor services from them and then throw them out and take other ones... The living expenses in Lebanon go beyond many countries that have higher wages. Big companies should also stop complaining they are making huge profits on the backs of a lot of people.
As for another solution, i agree that the public sector is sucking a lot of money from the state's treasury. We have too many employees that are not here to serve the state but rather to serve the people that are "supposedly " serving the state. I'll only refer to the numerous drivers and maids some police or army officers and higher get .
07 September 2012, 06:59
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Also why dont the governement tax the richest companies in the country? just because they belong to powerful people? this is all wrong. Im no economist and im not march 8th or 14th but the lebanese high society and political leaders are destroying its youth and the country along...
07 September 2012, 16:21
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Incredibly objective ! Ghassan Tueni could shake in his grave.You speak of taxes on "sea ' properties .To whom do these properties belong?They are the people's properties stolen by the top politicians with one of them being the guy who land-filled the shore in front of Dbayeh who is possibly your editor-in-chief Nayla's maternal grandfather.If the stolen properties of all the politicians are confiscated and sold that would generate enough money to repay lebanon's $65billion debt and pay in addition for the whole budget for a few years.
