Opposition says pension scheme not included Constitutional recommendations

Finance, Labour and Transfers Minister Iron Murati, during reporting to the Parliamentary Commission for Health and Social Peace, has talked about the pension scheme, which he has said will benefit about 70 thousand people.

Murati, has clarified before the Commission that the Constitutional Court ruling has been accepted on this issue.

“has been a pledge of ours as Government, and there has been also the demand of pensioners, who is finally getting the right answer in terms of regulating the legal framework. In this regard we have also accepted the Constitutional Court's decision”.

“Based on the estimate that we've already made for the initial scheme to exceed about 70 thousand people. The period from leaving work is considered a working period for the sake of recognising the 15-year contribution”.

He has said it is necessary to make the cost count and also assess the budget impact.

The budget impact is estimated to be about 60m euros annually. Calculating costs for 50 years is also necessary. And the cost has proved to be around 1.3 billion euros for those 50 years”.

But critical of this law were opposition MPs.

Shemsedin Dresaj, from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, said the decision does not include the two constitutional recommendations.

There are two recommendations of the Constitutional Court involved. All countries that have emerged from the conflicts have arranged that with reform every three years, the adjustment of participants to this category be made. Perhaps the minister would do well to consider a scheme that has drafted Croatia. I invite everyone to be unique because these people need us”.

And Democratic League of Kosovo MP Armend Zemaj said this issue takes time if we want it to be realised properly.

“I don't know how you will inform the Constitutional Court of fulfilling the decision in full and how they will respond. I think the preferential solution will remain an open topic, we have to sit down jointly”, Zemaj said.

But Vetevendosje Movement MP Fatmire Kolcak confirmed that all citizens welcome this law.

I believe all citizens welcome the law. We're in front of a reform of all the schemes and I think the other schemes are going to be set”, she added.

Pensioners exempted from the pension stage scheme for work in the 1990s who left work through violent measures will be counted years of work from now on, because the Kosovo government has proposed the new pension bill.

If the bill is voted in the Assembly, then all those who have years of work in the 1990s will be able to get a higher pension, as they will be known for their pension contributions.