Parliamentary Finance confirms upcoming presentation of salary scale proposal

The Parliamentary Finance Committee revealed on Tuesday that the proposed salary scale bill will soon be presented to the House of Representatives. Committee Chairman, MP Odai Awad, stated to the official press that the proposal will soon be tabled during parliamentary sessions after completing studies with specialists in financial and economic affairs. He confirmed that the proposal has been submitted to the Federal Supreme Court to ensure it is not subjected to legal challenges, expecting it to be scheduled for its first reading in upcoming sessions. Awad pointed out the committee's full readiness to receive and discuss observations regarding the law after its reading, and to adopt provisions deemed fair and consistent with legal frameworks. He noted that the proposal aims to enhance purchasing power and support the stability of state employees' salaries, including the cancellation of instructions that contradict its provisions. On his part, MP Abdul-Hamza Munem Al-Khafaji stated that the demand to amend the salary scale falls within the regulatory and legislative roles of Parliament, stressing the importance of the law for low-income employees, especially amid economic crises and rising commodity and service prices. Al-Khafaji added that employees across various job grades, from the tenth to the fifth, receive limited salaries ranging between 250 and 300 thousand dinars, pointing out the presence of such employees in more than seven ministries. He warned that the continuation of these conditions, coinciding with the rise in the cost of living, exacerbates the burdens on this segment, alongside a significant disparity between employees holding identical job grades. Al-Khafaji called for proceeding with the enactment of the law and addressing legal materials alleged to conflict with it, rather than using this conflict as a pretext to disrupt it, emphasizing the need for measures that reduce disparities and achieve justice among state employees. He revealed that the Prime Minister has been addressed regarding the possibility of sending the civil service and salary bill or the salary scale proposal, alongside a request to clarify the procedures taken by the Prime Minister's Office and Parliament concerning this file.