The Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, discussed a number of draft decrees at the Kasbah on Thursday, including an increase in the guaranteed minimum wage for various professions in the non-agricultural and agricultural sectors subject to the Labour Code. The draft decree setting the guaranteed minimum wage for various professions in the non-agricultural sectors subject to the Labour Code included two increases. The first by 7 per cent of the guaranteed minimum wage granted in 2022, effective from May 1, 2024, and a second increase of 7.5 per cent of the guaranteed minimum wage granted in 2024, effective from January 1, 2025. The draft decree aims to increase the guaranteed minimum wage in non-agricultural sectors subject to the Labour Code in order to preserve the purchasing power of low-income workers, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry. This will automatically lead to a retroactive increase in the pensions of private sector pensioners from May 2024, and from Jan uary 2025 for the second increase. The Council of Ministers also discussed a draft decree to set the guaranteed minimum agricultural wage, which is subject to the Labour Code, in order to preserve the purchasing power of low-income workers. The draft decree provides for two increases in the guaranteed minimum agricultural wage, the first by 7 per cent of the guaranteed minimum agricultural wage granted in 2022, effective from May 1, 2024, and the second by 7.5 per cent of this wage granted in 2024, effective from January 1, 2025. Pensioners in the private sector will also have their pensions automatically increased retroactively as of May 1, 2024 and as of January 1, 2025 for the second increase. The Council discussed a draft decree supplementing Decree No. 692 of 1993 on the establishment of diplomatic and consular representations abroad, in order to establish a consulate in the French city of Montpellier, a draft decree defining the mandate of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, and another draf t decree on the organisation of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy. It also examined a draft decree laying down exceptional provisions for the synchronised disposal of movable assets no longer used by public entities, in order to overcome all the problems identified and to speed up the disposal process by creating a framework that allows public entities to deal directly with each other. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse