Ministers’ new salaries, pension stir controversy

The nation’s columnists are skeptical about the newly approved bill regulating the salaries and pensions of ministers. El Watan’s Hazem Mounir says that increasing ministers’ pensions in lock step with salaries while appealing a court ruling that would have forced the state to raise pensions for all is “incomprehensible.” Ahram Gate’s Ismail Ibrahim said much the same thing and then called for the creation of a group to defend the rights of pensioners. In Al Masry Al Youm, Mohamed Amin does not oppose guaranteeing pensions and income for ministers, but wants to see protections for low-income government employees, too.