Khaberni - Khaled Al-Bakkar, the Minister of Labor, confirmed on Tuesday that what happened concerning the social security law project was not a withdrawal of the project, rather it was a modification of the draft law text that the government had submitted to the Cabinet and approved for its reasons, before sending it to the Legislation Bureau.
Al-Bakkar clarified to "Al Mamlaka" that during the discussion of the project at the Legislation Bureau, the door was opened for proposals from experts and stakeholders, and everyone who had ideas that could enhance the articles of the amended social security law draft.
He said that after all the comments were observed, and through a series of dialogues conducted by the Prime Minister with the parliamentary blocs and various related groups and entities, and after studying and examining the law’s articles and their actual application on segments of the employees and participants in the Social Security Corporation, it was clear that a set of amendments was needed, which the Cabinet then approved as a revised draft law including these amendments.
He mentioned that the law, if approved this year by the National Assembly, grants a transitional period of four years, during which there will be no touch or any modification on the current status during the years 2026 to 2029, asserting that everyone who meets the conditions for early retirement or mandatory retirement by the current law until December 31, 2029, will get their right without any change.
He clarified that the actual application of the new law project starts from January 1, 2030, and that the application of the conditions for mandatory retirement will be phased from 2030 until 2040 to achieve full required conditions.
He explained that in 2030 the age of mandatory retirement will become 60 and a half years for males and 55 and a half years for females, and in 2031 it will be 61 years for males and 56 years for females, with an addition of six months annually until reaching the age of 65 years for males and 60 years for females by 2040, noting that the duration needed to reach these conditions totals 14 years.
In relation to early retirement, Al-Bakkar emphasized that there would be no change in the current conditions until December 31, 2029, so that everyone who meets the conditions as per the current law benefits.
He pointed out that starting from 2030, the gradual increase in subscription durations will begin, reaching the ultimate goal represented in 360 subscriptions for males (30 years of service) and 300 subscriptions for females (25 years of service).
Al-Bakkar added that the current rule requires 21 years of service for males and 19 years for females, and starting from 2030, six months will be added annually to the required years of service, making it 21 years and a half for males and 19 years and a half for females, and this gradual increase will continue by adding six months each year until 2047 for males to reach 30 years of service, and until 2041 for females to reach 25 years of service, indicating that the duration of applying the gradual increase totals 21 years for males and 15 years for females.
Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan, confirmed during a Cabinet session, that the government modified the draft of the social security law to ensure that there is no infringement on any beneficiary of early, mandatory, or optional retirement over the next four years at all.
Hassan emphasized that the protection of citizens' rights is a fundamental priority that must be fully considered.
