The government convened on Monday for the first time in more than three months and will hold successive sessions from Tuesday until the budget draft is completed.

In the first session, the Council of Ministers approved a number of decrees related to life and living matters, in addition to discussing the draft general budget for 2022.

The main decisions approved by the Cabinet are:

Giving temporary social assistance to workers in the public sector (including government hospitals and the Lebanese University), municipalities, the Union of Municipalities, and anyone who receives a salary, wage, or allowances from public funds, in addition to retirees who benefit from a retirement pension.

Amending the value of the daily transportation allowance for the private sector employees at an amount of 65,000 Lebanese pounds for each day of actual attendance, as well as an education grant. The Cabinet also approved a draft decree aiming to amend the value of the temporary transportation compensation for workers in the public sector to 64,000 LBP for each day of actual attendance.

A draft decree aims to give a monthly lump sum transportation compensation of 1.2 million LBP to the soldiers in the army, Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, Customs officers, and Parliament police.

Adjusting the teaching fees for contractors in public schools, secondary schools, and vocational and technical education institutes

Appointing a National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Postponing the decision on the draft of the internal and financial regulations for the National Commission for Human Rights, including the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, in order to ensure the presence of the Minister of Justice in the next session.

The Council of Ministers approved all the items on its agenda.

After the Council of Ministers approved doubling the wages of contract teachers per hour, Halabi called on “teachers, and employees of educational institutions to return to schools starting tomorrow and make efforts to compensate for the closure of schools.”