Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) A 4.55 percent hike in the minimum monthly wage next year agreed by the Ministry of Labor's (MOL) Minimum Wage Review Committee Thursday is intended to both offset inflationary pressure on workers and minimize the cost to businesses, many of which have barely recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said that day.