Amman, April 12 (Petra) – Minister of Labor Khaled Bakkar said the government is "carefully" examining proposals submitted by the Lower House Labor Committee regarding the draft 2026 Social Security Law.
Bakkar commended the committee's efforts, chaired by MP Andre Hawari, alongside MPs who participated in debating the draft law over the past weeks.
Bakkar, in a press conference held Sunday at the Lower House, noted these proposals "cannot be judged directly, but rather require study to determine their impact on the sustainability of the social security system." He said the proposals should achieve the desired goals of maintaining the Social Security Corporation (SSC)'s sustainability and extending the break-even point for as long as possible, in accordance with the SSC-outlined actuarial studies.
Bakkar added: "As a government, we will request a neutral team of experts from the International Labour Organization (ILO) to study these proposals and options and provide their advice to the House Labor Committee. This will ensure sustainability of the social security system, while simultaneously preventing any increase in the burden on citizens." "As you know, when the government drafted the Social Security Law, its primary objective was the sustainability of the SSC's insurance system and extending the initial break-even point for as long as possible and this is what we aim to achieve," he pointed out Bakkar said: "We, as a government, are not in a hurry to pass the bill. What is most important is accuracy and reliability, as well as improving the bill to ensure this goal is achieved." In turn, Hawari stated the committee had exerted "considerable" effort over the past few weeks to study the draft law and held "extensive" meetings and discussions with various stakeholders and experts to gather their opinions and feedback and arrive at the "best possible version." After listening to various views, he said the committee submitted several proposed amendments to the draft law to the government to assess their impact on the sustainability of the social security system.
Hawari said the key principle seeks to sustain the Kingdom's social security system while simultaneously avoiding placing undue burdens on citizens.
//Petra// AG
