Pensioners are demanding that Bahrain’s MPs fast-track a government bill granting a three per cent increment to them, starting this year.

Many of the pensioners, interviewed by our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej, have expressed their dismay at the delay in the discussion of a draft law on pension funds referred by the government to the council in March.

The law includes granting pensioners an annual increment of 3pc beginning from this year.

Postponements and procrastination rob pensioners of the badly-needed increment, they said.

Many citizens felt MPs should keep away from self-serving rhetoric and keep the interest of citizens and the homeland above their own.

They also stressed the need to revise Parliament’s work mechanism which they felt causes delay in the passing of laws.

This can harm the interest of citizens, especially pensioners, they said.

Akhbar A Khaleej said it tried to seek the views of the head of services committee, Ahmed Al Ansari, but received no response despite repeated requests since last Tuesday. Other committee members too have refused to comment, it said.

Shura Council services committee chairperson Dr Jehad Al Fadhel said that she and other members of the council received calls from citizens, especially pensioners, asking about when the annual increment would be implemented.

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