The Director General of the Fund, Mohammed Korki, issued memorandum number 8, titled "Extension of the Implementation of Memorandum No. 40 dated 5/9/2022 regarding the temporary suspension of some provisions of Memorandum No. 16 dated February 25, 2008 regarding the public driver's license that must be adopted." Under this memorandum, public drivers are considered subject to and benefit from the Fund's provisions regardless of the renewal of expired driving licenses between 1/10/2022 and 30/4/2023 inclusive.
The Public Relations Directorate of the National Social Security Fund stated in a statement that "in light of the exceptional circumstances the country, in general, and the public sector, in particular, are going through, where most of its facilities are not operating normally due to employee strikes and judicial suspensions, this has hindered citizens from completing their transactions, especially with the halt of the Vehicle Management Authority's work, which prevented public drivers from renewing their driving licenses. This has led to the suspension of their benefits from the National Social Security Fund, especially health benefits."
It indicated that "the issuance of the memorandum comes on the basis of the commitment shown by Korki in taking all necessary procedures and measures to facilitate the affairs of insured citizens, particularly public drivers who are experiencing difficult living conditions, especially during the period of continuous stoppage of the Vehicle Management Authority's work and their inability to renew their licenses, and in compassion by the Board of Directors regarding the difficult humanitarian conditions the country is going through, so that drivers continue to benefit from the Fund's health and social provisions."
The directorate added that "the Director General's decision came to alleviate their suffering during the crisis and allowed them, according to this memorandum and after the office's approval, to benefit from the Fund's provisions even if their driving license expired, until the crisis in the public sectors that are suspended from work is solved progressively."
Korki expressed hope that "Lebanon will emerge from this difficult ordeal it has been facing for more than three years, and that its institutions and administrations will return to normal and organized work to serve the Lebanese citizen and preserve their dignity."
In a special conversation with "Wardena," Economic and Social Council member Sadiq Alawia pointed out that "the memorandum addresses public drivers whose driving licenses expired and who could not renew them due to the closure of the relevant authority, thus giving them an opportunity to benefit from social security and pay contributions, even if their licenses were expired."
