Council of ministers demand salary rise [Archives:2003/651/Local News]

SANA'A_ The Council of Minister had beginning of last week proposed a cabinet draft law demanding the increase of salaries of ministers, their deputies and undersecretaries in addition to raising allowance by 150 percent and reducing authorities of some institutions and ministers in favor of the prime minister.
Parliament member had criticized the draft law for not including the ministers' financial statement and a brief account on their positions, considering that a kind of escaping responsibility and outflanking the laws and constitutional texts.
The MPs renewed their demand for raising salaries of armed forces, security and civil servants just like that demanded for the ministers and other officials mentioned in the draft law.
The head of the government had earlier described the parliament members' demands for raising civil servants salaries as it aimed at destroying the national economy considering that a “conspiracy”, whereas that demand was proposed by more than 50 MPs from the PGC bloc.
The parliament had last week concluded its meeting with a closed door session devoted for the demand of dealing with them on equal footing with regard to financial privileges with ministers.
It is to be recalled that the price rise since 1995 has been estimated at 400 percent without any rise in salaries of governmental officials.
According to a study by the World Bank, part of major causes of administrative corruption in Yemen is attributed to low wages and salaries
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