[ecr] 

During a plenary session at the Council of the Nation (Parliament’s Upper House) devoted to oral questions, the minister highlighted the State's efforts to support and improve citizens' purchasing power over the past five years, particularly salary increases and the revaluation of pensions and retirement benefits.

Bentaleb also recalled salary increases from 2020 to 2024, the number of beneficiaries, and their financial impact, adding that such endeavors are part of enshrining the social character of the State.

After emphasizing that the issue of salary increases in the economic sector is a matter of negotiation as part of collective agreements in economic enterprises, the minister said that the role of the labour sector consisted in “ensuring the strict implementation of these collective agreements.”

The minister also mentioned the measures taken by the government, including the creation of the unemployment allowance to support job seekers, as well as the implementation of necessary facilitations for micro-enterprises, enabling them to create job positions, particularly in the southern regions and the High Plateaus.[/ecr]