GOVERNMENT APPROVES RAISING OF PENSIONS FOR SOME

The Government approved on Wednesday the raising of pensions for 65 thousand elderly of Moldova, who retired in the period of 2009 through 2011. The decision will enter into force on November 1.

According to the decree, the retirement pension for 58.4 thousand citizens will be raised on average by 255 lei (17.6%), while the disability pension for 6.4 thousand people - by 274 lei (28%).

Prime Minister Pavel Filip said that the Government is fulfilling its liabilities undertaken at pension system reforming, on the basis of real opportunities, but not populism.

According to him, the growth of revenues to budget allowed to raise pensions, while in future, if revenues keep growing, the increments will continue, and maybe the retirement age will also be revised.

For fulfilling the Government's decision, 33.6 million lei will be necessary from the budget.

According to the National Social Insurance Fund (CNAS), there were 691.2 thousand pensioners in Moldova as of the beginning of 2017, including 531 thousand - retirement pensioners. The size of an average pension is 1301.14 lei (US$72), which is lower than the subsistence wage. The average size of disability pension is even smaller - 1018 lei. It is paid to over 132.9 thousand people with disabilities.