Parliament Approves Five Laws Supporting State Employees and Civil Defense Volunteers

The Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan with the participation of committee rapporteur MP Ali Fayyad, convened a session on Tuesday morning at the Parliament. The meeting included the presence of Finance Minister Yassin Jaber.

Committee members attending the session included MPs Salim Aoun, Inaya Ezzeddine, Ihab Matar, Fouad Makhzoumi, Jihad Al-Samad, Ghassan Attallah, Ghazi Zaiter, Ali Hassan Khalil, Ghada Ayoub, Hassan Fadlallah, and Raji Al-Saad.

Additionally, MPs outside the committee who attended were Cesar Abi Khalil, Hani Qubaisi, Paula Yacoubian, Mohammad Khawaja, Ashraf Baydoun, Jimmy Jabbour, Jamil Al-Sayyed, Bilal Abdullah, Razi Al-Hajj, Melhem Riyashi, and Amin Sherri.

Following the session, MP Ibrahim Kanaan stated that six proposals and draft laws were on the agenda. The first concerned granting contracted dentists and pharmacists who work full-time within the State Employees Cooperative access to the retirement and benefits system. This initiative, presented by MP Jimmy Jabbour, aims to rectify a legislative flaw dating back to 2014 that excluded these professionals from benefiting similarly to other employees. After extensive discussion and amendments from the Parliamentary Health Committee as well as adjustments by the Finance Committee, the proposal was approved. Once ratified by the general assembly, the injustice will be resolved, covering those excluded by the 2014 law who remain active and have not yet retired.

MP Jimmy Jabbour expressed gratitude to MP Kanaan and the Finance Committee members for approving the proposal related to pharmacists and dentists who were denied retirement benefits due to the 2014 legislation. He expressed hope for its ratification by the general assembly to become effective.

Kanaan added that the second proposal addressed civil defense. The 2014 law established a staff structure for civil defense and allowed a limited recruitment exam for those who dedicated their lives to the institution; however, no such exam has taken place since. The current law approved aims to grant rights to those who have reached retirement age or retired without receiving benefits. The Finance Committee approved this law based on the Defense and Municipalities Committee’s report, ensuring all civil defense volunteers can benefit from retirement privileges.

He continued by noting the approval of a law concerning accountants, which modifies the timeframe for appointing new accountants. This amendment to Article 172 of Law 126 (amending the Maritime Commerce Law) was proposed by MP Melhem Riyashi and replaces the previous five-year period with one year to facilitate the process.

The fourth item involved establishing a union for nurses. The law addresses significant injustices and fees linked to an exchange rate of 1500 Lebanese pounds. It was approved to protect nurses’ rights, deduct a sum for their fund, and resolve a chronic issue. The committee relied on the consensus of the Justice and Health Committee regarding mechanisms, deductions, and funding to secure these rights.

Kanaan also announced the approval of an increase in Lebanon’s capital share in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which finances major projects in Lebanon and serves the state's interests. The increase was approved with a request for clarification on the payment method, especially since the law stipulates funding through increased revenues. The Finance Ministry will provide explanations in the general assembly, and a dedicated session on revenues is planned for the following week.

He noted that the last project related to tax residency is under discussion, with the Finance Ministry asked to provide clarifications to complete the review next week.