Bishara Asmar, President of the General Confederation of Labor in Lebanon, thanked President Michel Aoun in a statement for the "expeditious signing of Decree No. 9129 concerning the cost of living in the private sector," emphasizing the need to "publish it in the official gazette at the earliest possible opportunity so that it can be implemented immediately for workers, employees, and contractors subject to labor law." He noted that this decree has positive effects, even to a minimal extent, on the livelihoods of these workers and on the National Social Security Fund, as it generates approximately one hundred and one billion Lebanese pounds in additional revenue from contributions reported to the fund, which would lead to an increase in the value of hospitalization and medication allowances provided to beneficiaries by the fund.
Asmar also thanked Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Finance Minister Youssef Khalil, and Labor Minister Mustafa Bayram for their efforts in this matter. He called on "the Prime Minister and the Labor Minister to convene the Index Committee to study wage realities, increase the minimum wage, and agree on fixed amounts for transport allowances, school grants, and new family allowances in both the public and private sectors, as well as to increase transport allowances for military personnel following the disastrous rise in fuel prices, which has negatively impacted all aspects of economic and social life for workers, military personnel, the poor, and those with low incomes."
