Bassem al-Asmar, newly elected head of Lebanon's National Social Security Fund, says he will call federation elections soon and plans broad reforms at the insurance institution.
Bassem al-Asmar, president-elect of the National Social Security Fund's board and head of the General Labor Union, said the coming period will involve extensive work within the social security system, including reassessment of key files and implementation of a retirement and social protection law, alongside improvements to services, hospitalization and medical care and treatment of compensation issues.
In an interview, Asmar said the Labour Minister has expressed his wish to hold new elections within the labor federation. Asmar said he will call for elections at the earliest possible opportunity, describing the goal as selecting the right person to lead the federation through this phase.
The elections will not be limited to the presidency but will be comprehensive, covering the federation's board of directors according to established procedures. Asmar denied that serious discussions have taken place yet on consensus or the formation of electoral lists, saying the timing is still early and he is waiting briefly after the social security elections before moving to the labor federation electoral process.
For the social security fund, Asmar expressed hope that the new phase will bring positive results, particularly regarding implementation of existing laws, foremost among them the retirement and social protection law. He stressed the need to reassess the fundamental elements of the insurance scheme, saying that fund monies should be considered debts of priority and that the state must fulfill its obligations by returning money owed to the fund.
Restoring the fund's capacity to operate and expanding its service reach depends on the state recovering its debts, Asmar said. This must translate into increased services for insured persons and improved hospitalization and medical care, along with review of several files requiring attention.
Asmar emphasized the need to reassess compensation given to workers who left employment between 2016 and 2024, saying these workers were "greatly wronged" by the sharp decline in compensation value. Some insured persons have not yet received their compensation, he noted, and this file will be among those requiring attention in the coming period through both the social security fund and the labor federation.
The social security institution suffers from severe shortages in human resources, Asmar said, with a great need for rehiring to improve performance and ease transaction handling for insured persons. The coming phase requires comprehensive reform within social security, he said, expressing hope of reaching an acceptable level of success in addressing the files at hand.
Asmar's appointment follows recent elections at the fund and represents the first leadership transition after the institution's protracted financial and administrative challenges. The timing coincides with broader efforts to revitalize public institutions after years of economic crisis that has strained Lebanon's social safety net.
The labor federation elections will test unity among unions and workers' representatives across Lebanon's fractured labor movement. Asmar's commitment to hold elections indicates acknowledgment that broader consensus within the federation is necessary to advance the institutional agenda he has outlined for both the federation and the social security fund.
