issue number 123 |October 2012 OFFICIAL EXAMS GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CO-OP “THE MONTHLY” INTERVIEWS MUKHTAR OF DHOUR EL-CHOUEIR www.iimonthly.com # Published by Information International sal RANKS AND SALARIES SCALE SEES THE LIGHT, BUT... MP: LBP 12.7 MILLION JUDGE: LBP 9.3 MILLION LU PROFESSOR: LBP 8.4 MILLION MINIMUM WAGE LBP 675,000 Lebanon 5,000LL | Saudi Arabia 15SR | UAE 15DHR | Jordan 2JD| Syria 75SYP | Iraq 3,500IQD | Kuwait 1.5KD | Qatar 15QR | Bahrain 2BD | Oman 2OR | Yemen 15YRI | Egypt 10EP | Europe 5Euros October INDEX 2012 4 RANKS AND SALARIES SCALE SEES THE LIGHT, BUT... 9 POSTPONEMENT OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ENTAILS EXTENSION OF MPS’ MANDATE BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SPEAKER? 10 OFFICIAL EXAMS 14 MINISTRY OF FINANCE 15 TRIPOLI: 45 DEAD AND 290 INJURED IN 7 MONTHS 16 THE 1972 LEBANESE PARLIAMENTARY P: 15 P: 24 ELECTIONS (4) 18 GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CO-OP 20 PUNISHMENT FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF FEMALE MINORS IN SCHOOLS 21 INDIVIDUALIZING CARE: DR. HANNA SAADAH 22 IS THERE AN ULTIMATE TRUTH IN SCIENCE?: ANTOINE BOUTROS 23 HOMOSEXUALITY: LET’S GET IT STRAIGHT!: P: 18 DR. MICHEL NAWFAL 24 INTERVIEW: MICHELINE KHOURY MAJAESS 41 INFRINGEMENTS ON COASTAL PROPERTY 26 MEANING OF FREEDOM FOR YOUTH 42 AUGUST 2012 HIGHLIGHTS 27 NOBEL PRIZES IN LITERATURE (2) 46 FEMALE SPORTS A THREAT TO ISLAMIC UNITY 30 ULYP: UNITE LEBANON YOUTH PROJECT 32 POPULAR CULTURE 47 REAL ESTATE PRICES IN LEBANON - 33 DEBUNKING MYTH #62: THE VERY FIRST A TO Z AUGUST 2012 48 34 MUST-READ BOOKS: THE POLITICS OF ANTI- FOOD PRICES - AUGUST 2012 SEMITISM 50 WATER 35 MUST-READ CHILDREN’S BOOK: ATLAS OF 50 CHILDREN BEIRUT RAFIC HARIRI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - AUGUST 2012 36 LEBANON FAMILIES: FREIJ FAMILIES 51 LEBANON STATS 37 DISCOVER LEBANON: AN-NABI SHEET 38 CIVIL STRIFE INTRO (8) |EDITORIAL ENCROACHMENT1 ON PUBLIC PROPERTY Information International has published in 2003 a Today, and amid the increase of public debt, the booklet on coastal property, and below is a slightly pay rise and the government’s “struggle” to provide amended introduction of it, as nothing has changed further revenues, infringements on public coastal except for the worse. property remain lacking an equitable law, which Since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990, regulates the occupancy fees and removes all the successive governments, especially that of the [ 1992, have tried to manage the remnants of war and go with the wind. Furthermore, the laws in force to remove the infringements on public and private impose on the “legal and licensed” coastal facilities properties. Militia checkpoints and protection money and land trivial taxes that remain unfair compared disappeared, illegal ports were closed, customs [ resources were partly restored and a law stipulating margins. [ [ However, the successive cabinets and parliaments boils down to the role of the state, the rights and have failed to approve a law that addresses the duties of the citizens and our understanding of what encroachments on public coastal property. The draft is or is not public or private. The railroad properties law suggested by the 1996 Hariri government on this are violated and so are the main roads, the shoreline, issue hit snags in Parliament and the other attempt the mountains, the valleys and even the people. initiated in 1999 by Al-Hoss government was also to no avail. The budget sessions have always been abuzz with discussions on coastal infringements throughout the years and certainly the sessions of the current 1 Encroach on/upon something: to intrude on (a person’s government are no different. territory, rights, personal life, etc.)/ to advance gradually beyond usual or acceptable limits (Oxford Dictionay). Ministerial and political statements tackling shoreline encroachments: “.. Reconsideration of the investment of public “.. Preserving the Lebanese coast and taking property, especially coastal one...” the measures necessary to solve the problem of (ministerial statement of Rashid As-Solh’s government- May 1992) encroachments upon the public coastal property for % .. Raising the revenues can be possible through a ” “ &R#**"$ proper collection of public property taxes...” [!""#$ “+Roil, water and public coastal and riverine property… and “.. The government will work on addressing the working on accelerating the approval of the draft law coastal property violations...” aimed at handling the coastal property violations...” (ministerial statement of Omar Karami’s government- October 2004) /35R7#*!!$ “.. Given the importance of preserving the Lebanese “.. Where do we stand regarding the settlement of the shoreline, which is one of the greatest treasures [ of Lebanon, the government will cooperate with for decades... (statement by Walid Jumblat in June 2012) Parliament to re-organize the coast in a manner that ” guarantees the rights of the people, and to solve the “.. We support the removal of immunity from all violations threatening the seaside land...” those encroaching on coastal public property...” (ministerial statement of Fouad Seniora’s government- July 2008) (statement by Minister of Public works and Transportation Ghazi Aridi in April 2011) = LEBANON TYRUS Original view Cornelis De Bruyn 1698 7?P1 MARINA du TRIPOLI & TRIPOLIS Original views Cornelis De Bruyn 1698 LEADER | 5 RANKS AND SALARIES SCALE SEES THE LIGHT, BUT… (1) JUDGES- UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS- PUBLIC AUTHORITIES After months of protests, strikes and prolonged meetings, the Lebanese Cabinet approved during its session last Thursday, September 6, 2012, a draft law endorsing the ranks and salaries scale for serving and retired public employees (ministries, state institutions, [ [ [[ debts. There is little likelihood that the rise will bridge the gap between civil servants, as some will have their salaries hiked by millions of Lebanese Liras every month while [ highlights the salaries of judges, LU professors and public authorities, and another one shedding light on those of teachers and the military shall follow in our next issue. Why is the scale necessary? salaries of Lebanese University professors by virtue of The government mentioned a number of compelling #*D3I#*!# reasons that necessitated the approval of the ranks and reign to demands of parallel increases from the rest of salaries scale, of which we highlight the following: civil servants including teachers and the military. Besides raising their minimum wage to LBP 675 000, private sector employees were also granted a First scale and its amendments cost of living increase and therefore, civil servants The laws adopted before 1998 gave civil servants should be treated equally. different increases that broadened the disparities &R[ [ / NI!""Q The laws approved in the past few years granted =!D/R$=!= exceptional increases for certain public employees, (raising minimum wage and granting cost of living pay which resulted in a huge salary gap within the public $=!Q sector. military’s salaries scale) in a serious attempt to correct One of the foundations of administrative reform is \ to grant employees their right to fair salaries and different grades and ranks in all public administrations decent living, so that the public sector can attract %+N>** competencies. 000 to enter into force starting January 1, 1999 with a 7!!""D The widening of the pay- gap between the salaries of [ public sector employees probably was the main reason that prompted the disadvantaged civil servants to raise X\ !=> dominated the market since the approval of the above ? #" #*!! [ 5 laws, the salaries remained untouched until December @/"*C >! #**Q D> And so, the Lebanese University professors followed in !""Q /R 661 of 1997, adding LBP 200 000 to the salaries of 5 [ serving employees and LBP 170 000 to the retired. Eventually, the government resigned it self to hiking the This law was to enter into force on May 1, 2008. issue 123 | October 2012 6 | LEADER Unbalanced scale Judges’ salaries ?/ Z!=>?#"#*!! 5"IC/[@%+NI***** $\/[ !/R+!""Q#*!! /$]]Q#C^!/5]>QC /]]>C Evolution of judges’ salaries by grade (amounts in LBP) Table 1 Grade Salary in 1998 (1) Salary in 1999 (2) Salary in 2008 (3) Current salary (4) 1 762,000 1,900,000 2,100,000 4,100,000 2 807,600 2,050,000 2,258,000 4,350,000 3 853,200 2,200,000 2,416,000 4,600,000 4 898,800 2,350,000 2,574,000 4,850,000 10 1,172,400 3,250,000 3,522,000 6,350,000 11 1,218,000 3,400,000 3,680,000 6,600,000 12 1,263,600 3,550,000 3,838,000 6,850,000 13 1,309,200 3,700,000 3,996,000 7,100,000 19 1,582,800 4,600,000 4,944,000 8,600,000 20 1,628,400 4,750,000 5,102,000 8,850,000 21 1,674,000 4,900,000 5,260,000 9,100,000 22 1,719,600 5,050,000 5,418,0010 9,350,000 Source: Official Gazette (1): grade value: LBP 45 600 (2): grade value: LBP 150 000 >$__%+N!IQ*** (4): grade value: LBP 250 000 +_/&X`&R Lebanese University Professors %j55/ within the Lebanese civil service and thus should be treated equally. They also demanded that their retirement age be raised to 68 and the government complied with their wishes. %#*D3I#*!#%jR them two exceptional grades (each grade amounting to LBP 225 000). Table 2 illustrates the evolution of LU !""Q#*!!IQ!C^!%j 5]>"CI!*C issue 123 | The Monthly is published by Information International s.a.l. LEADER | 7 Evolution of LU professors’ salaries by grade (amounts in LBP) Table 2 Grade Salary in 1998 (1) Salary in 1999 (2) Salary in 2008 (3) Salary in 2012 (4) 1 686,500 1,875,000 2,075,000 3,700,000 2 719,500 2,010,000 2,217,000 3,925,000 3 752,500 2,145,000 2,359,000 4,150,000 4 785,500 2,280,000 2,501,000 4,375,000