The head of the General Federation of Lebanese Trade Unions, Maroun Al-Khouli, called for exempting voluntary insured persons over the age of sixty-four, who are not affiliated with an employer, from contributions to the National Social Security Fund, just like insured retirees, calling for urgent treatment to reduce the financial burdens on this group.
In a statement addressed to the Fund’s Board of Directors and its General Director, Dr. Muhammad Karaki, Al-Khouli stressed the necessity of approving this exemption in a way that ensures that beneficiaries continue to receive social security benefits without interruption.
He explained that continuing to oblige this group to pay contributions – which amount to about 5,040,000 liras per month – represents a heavy financial burden, in light of the financial and monetary collapse that led to a sharp decline in the value of incomes and savings.
Al-Khouli called for the establishment of an immediate legal and administrative mechanism that enables these insured people to benefit from insurance contributions away from burdens that exceed their financial capabilities, stressing that achieving social justice requires protecting and fairness to this segment by exempting them from contributions like retirees.
