Hassan Al-Sitri
In its session yesterday, the House of Representatives approved 3 draft laws related to amending the pension entitlement system for children, which included raising the pension cut-off age for the eligible child from 22 years to 24 years, and for children studying in one of the stages of university or higher education from 26 years to 28 years, or until the end of study, whichever is earlier. Despite the reservations of the government, the General Authority for Social Insurance, and the Military Retirement Fund regarding these projects, a number of people expressed The representatives expressed their support for this step, stressing the need to reconsider all aspects related to the project to ensure a balance between financial burdens and social impacts, taking into account respect for citizens’ rights. The head of the Services Committee, Mamdouh Al-Saleh, indicated that the scarcity of jobs was one of the main drivers of this amendment, with the aim of providing justice to citizens searching for job opportunities. He also clarified that extending the eligibility period for two years will not constitute a major burden on the social insurance systems, and it expresses a humanitarian dimension within the law. For her part, Representative Iman Shweiter commented that the Social Insurance Law has been fair to the girl in many cases, as the benefit continues for her until she gets married or obtains a job. Representative Muhammad Al-Marafi saw that the law has done justice to the girl without providing the same right to the boy who may have to To seek help from his younger family members. Meanwhile, Representative Ali Al-Nuaimi suggested the need to benefit from the experiences of neighboring countries, such as the experience of Kuwait, whose funds achieve profits compared to the deficit that the local system suffers from. He stressed the importance of controlling investments to ensure the sustainability of these systems. Representative Zainab Abdel Amir stressed the humanitarian dimension of the project. Representative Mahmoud Fardan explained that legislation must respond to changing time conditions. For his part, Representative Muhammad Al-Ahmad expressed his support for the proposal, stressing that its aim is primarily humanitarian, especially in cases of completing education, as if the father were alive he would not leave his children.
