Companies and institutions are anticipating a period of discrepancy and confusion in the mechanism for calculating transportation allowances for employees, coinciding with the trend towards approving a new increase in light of the continuing rise in fuel prices, and in light of the varying amounts currently paid by institutions.
In this context, economic sources reported that the main problem is that adopting a new minimum for the transportation allowance will not necessarily lead to unifying the value that all workers receive. Some companies already give allowances that exceed the minimum, which may create a discrepancy in the amounts paid and open the door to discussion between employers and employees about how to calculate the increase.
The same sources explained that the current disparity is clearly evident in the difference in values. An employee may receive a transportation allowance of approximately $5.6, while another employee may receive a transportation allowance of approximately $8.9, depending on the policy of each organization. This situation may raise widespread controversy in economic circles unless clear and specific criteria are set for calculating the allowance.
The sources confirmed that addressing this dilemma requires adopting a clear and unified mechanism, especially since the currently proposed formula may not be final, and may be re-discussed in the future according to economic developments and fuel price movements.
In parallel, the sources indicated that gasoline alone would not be sufficient to alleviate the heavy burdens borne by employees, amid the continuing high prices of gasoline and the expectation of additional increases soon. Although the expected increase may contribute to closing part of the gap resulting from the high cost of transportation, it will not compensate for the entire burden, which opens the door to questions about the effectiveness and sustainability of the new formula if fuel prices continue to rise.
In conclusion, the sources suggested that adopting a basic and mobile transportation allowance be an option, taking into account the nature of jobs and transportation requirements on the one hand, and changes in fuel prices on the other hand, allowing it to be recalculated in the event of any sharp increase in prices. At the same time, she warned that setting the transportation allowance at a fixed level without linking it to a flexible mechanism that keeps pace with the cost of fuel would bring the problem back to the forefront with every new wave of high prices.
(Source: exclusive “Lebanon 24”)
