Parliament Committee Extends Pension Act Amendments Deadline After Brief Three-Minute Meeting

The Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament concluded a hastily convened meeting in just three minutes following an extraordinary parliamentary sitting on Tuesday. The committee extended the deadline for completing works related to a significant amendment to the Pension Act, pushing it to the end of next month. The amendment, which would allow individuals battling serious illnesses like cancer to access their pension funds for treatment, was unanimously approved by 51 lawmakers during Monday’s sitting and forwarded to the committee for review. The Tuesday meeting, held after an eight-minute parliamentary session, saw Kelaa MP Abdulla Shareef propose deadlines for seeking government comments and completing legislative work, which were unanimously approved. The amendment introduces new provisions, including withdrawals for medical treatment regardless of age and partial Hajj cost coverage using pension funds.