Pensioners demand pension rise due to economic growth

It is unlikely the government would decide on that before August it

According to the Pension Act an extraordinary pension indexation can be made in the year following the year in which positive economic growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) has been established, when proposed by the council of the institute, and with the consent of the government. Foto: BoBo

The Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) council passed a proposal for the government requesting an extraordinary pension indexation. The calculations made by the pension institute, should the government give its assent, propose the rise by 0.4%

The conditions for extraordinary pension indexation defined by the Pension Act have been met, claim pensioners' representatives, members of the institute council. Anka Tominšek, pensioner's representative, said that the preliminary estimates by the State Statistical Office show that last year the economic growth reached 2.9%.

Miloš Pavlica, one of the seven representatives of the government in the council, during discussion announced the support to the proposal for indexation. He however expressed the opinion that government most likely would not decide about the proposal until obtaining more precise data on the GDP growth in August.

According to him several data show that the government will have to seriously consider the reasons due to which austerity measures had much more influence on pensioners than on other groups of inhabitants.

Financial situation of pensioners changed for the worse
The representatives of pensioners in the council warned that the financial situation of pensioners has worsened significantly.

T. H., Translated by G. K.