Pensioners Get Good News About Holiday Payments
As is well known, retirees covered by the pension fund receive their pensions between the 1st and 5th of each month. This year those dates coincided with the Eid al-Adha holiday, raising concerns among pensioners. The Council of Ministers issued a decision to clarify the situation. According to the announcement, for pension fund beneficiaries — including retired spouses and orphans receiving survivor pensions, the families of our martyrs, and our veterans — if their regular payment days fall between September 1 and September 5, their pensions will be advanced so payments occur before the holiday.
Under this arrangement, those who would normally receive their pensions on September 1, 2, or 3 — including retired spouses and orphans covered by the pension fund as well as the relatives of martyrs and veterans — will receive their payments on August 28, 2017. Those scheduled for September 4 or 5 will receive payments on August 29, 2017. This decision removed uncertainty for pension fund beneficiaries and ensured they would have access to their pension before the holiday.
Eid al-Adha Holiday Extended
The Council of Ministers also decided to combine the Eid al-Adha holiday with the August 30 Victory Day holiday. According to the decision, Eid al-Adha will include full administrative leave on August 28–29 and a half-day administrative leave on Thursday, August 31. As a result, the Eid holiday was extended to a total of 10 days. This extension allows citizens to celebrate the holiday without rush and to make travel or leisure plans while observing religious duties. The longer break also generated excitement within the tourism sector.
How Many Days Is the Eid al-Adha Holiday?
The Council of Ministers’ deliberations that influenced the Eid holiday were closely watched by citizens and businesses in the tourism industry. What normally amounts to about six days of holiday was extended because Eid al-Adha fell near the August 30 Victory Day, bringing the total expected leave period to ten days. The Council’s decision confirmed those expectations and provided clarity on the official holiday schedule.
Are Bridges and Highways Free?
With the holiday extended, many people wondered which days bridges and toll highways would be open for free passage. Officials announced that the bridges and motorways operated by the General Directorate of Highways will be toll-free from August 30 until September 5 at 07:00. This measure is intended to ease travel during the extended holiday period and help accommodate the increased traffic volume.