“Lebanon Debate”
Information Minister Paul Morcos confirmed that the proposed law regarding contractors in the Ministry of Information benefiting from the retirement system constitutes a long-awaited “humanitarian issue,” noting that they spent dozens of years in public service before many of them left without any rights, unlike other state employees.
In a statement to “Red TV” on the sidelines of the legislative session of the House of Representatives, Morcos explained that the approval of this law comes “out of fairness,” with the need to take into account the financial and administrative aspects, in a way that preserves the structure of public administration and the state’s ability to fulfill its obligations in the future, without this being at the expense of the rights of contractors who have waited for justice for many years.
He pointed out that work on this file took years, until a formula was reached that guaranteed the inclusion of contractors subject to the 2001 decree related to civil employment, considering that the time has come to do justice to them.
In response to the debate that accompanied the discussion of the proposal within the General Assembly, Morcos affirmed his support for the principle of equality among all contractors, saying: “As long as the law includes Ministry of Information contractors, we have no problem, but I support generalizing equality among all contractors, and I will work on this matter.” He added that what was achieved today came as a result of the struggle of the Ministry of Information contractors, who proved their right to obtain the same rights enjoyed by others.
At the same time, Morcos stressed the need to preserve public finances and the structure of public administration, considering that any treatment of this file must take into account these two considerations, describing the issue as a “righteous humanitarian” issue that requires justice.
Regarding the fate of the item related to general amnesty included on the session’s agenda, the Minister of Information explained that he could not anticipate the decision of the Parliament, and said: “This is the will of the House of Representatives, and there is a separation of powers and we respect it.”
