The records of the finance ministry clearly indicate how much we pay them to make our lives miserable. The president of the republic is paid a monthly salary of 18,750,000 Lebanese Liras (LL) ($12,500), ie LL225,000,000 ($150,000) annually. The parliamentary speaker and prime minister receive LL17,737,000 ($11,824) a month (LL212,844,000 million - $141,896 annually). Each minister receives LL12,937,000 ($8,625) a month (LL212,844,000 - $103,496 annually). Each MP gets LL12,750,000 ($8,500) a month (LL153,000,000 - $102,000). The total yearly salaries of the president, speaker, prime minister, the ministers, and MPs reaches 24 billion and 892 thousand Lebanese Lira ($16.6 million). Then come the “extra” benefits. Each MP receives LL2.7 million every month from the Parliamentary Solidarity Fund (financed through deputy contributions of LL100,000 a month, and the rest from the state budget). The total for all deputies is LL4,147 million ($2.77 million). In addition, each deputy receives LL100 million ($67,000) yearly from the public works ministry. The total for this is LL12 billion and 800 million. Several former and current ministers and deputies consider this to be one of the worst governments in terms of productivity. This raises the total paid for officials to do (or not do) their work to around LL41.84 billion ($28 million) a year. A study by Information International indicates that former MPs receive lifelong compensation and benefits. When they die, their salaries go to their families (there are 310 living former deputies and 103 deceased). This category receives 55 percent of the salary of current deputies, for those who “served” for one full term. It becomes 65 percent after two full terms and 75 percent for three terms and above. MPs who die during their first term are considered to have served three terms. The study estimated the total benefits for former deputies to be around LL28 billion ($19 million) a year. Former presidents, speakers, and prime ministers receive 75 percent of the salaries they had during their term. This is around LL30 billion ($20 million) annually. Lebanese citizens pay former officials and the families of those who are deceased around LL58 billion ($39 million) every year. This makes the amount paid to current and former officials around LL100 billion ($67 million). There is more. The above amounts are called “allowances and compensations” in the law, not “salaries.” It allows presidents, ministers, and deputies, who previously held other posts in the public sector, to receive the compensations related to those salaries, to be added to the above lifetime benefits.
