ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) - The leader of the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU), Vladimir Jordan, is satisfied with the fact that the government has delivered on its agreement with the HSU in the first three months of its term, but he
also believes that the government has failed to launch any action to boost the economy, which is what the growth of pensions depends on.
ZAGREB, March 22 (Hina) - The leader of the Croatian Pensioners' Party
(HSU), Vladimir Jordan, is satisfied with the fact that the government
has delivered on its agreement with the HSU in the first three months
of its term, but he also believes that the government has failed to
launch any action to boost the economy, which is what the growth of
pensions depends on.#L#
After the first phase of implementation of the agreement between the
HSU and the Croatian Democratic Union, which saw the inclusion of a
100-kuna bonus and an increase of six percent in pension allowances,
the change of criteria for the adjustment of pensions and an increase
in their non-taxable part, and the change of criteria for exemption
from participation fees, the HSU will launch a second phase to draw up
a law on the payment of the state debt to pensioners, Jordan said.
Jordan said that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader had agreed to a proposal
to appoint a commission consisting of government representatives and
pensioners to draw up the law.
"The law should be adopted by June 30, after which the Pension
Insurance Agency (HZMO) should calculate the debt owed to every
pensioner and issue them with relevant certificates," Jordan said
adding that the payment of the debt could start in 2005.
He called for a revision of the pension insurance system, stating that
the existing system was disastrous as it resulted in a constant
decrease of pensions.
In the next several days, the government should appoint a new
management board of the HZMO, to include three representatives of
pensioners, two more than now.
The HSU will open the issue of responsibility of HZMO director Srecko
Vukovic because the HZMO issued pensioners with certificates stating
that the state owed them no money, Jordan said.
The HSU is dissatisfied with the government's economic policy because
in the first three months of its term the government failed to launch
any measures to boost the economy, Jordan said.
"Without economic development there can be no pensions, which is why
we will present programmes for which we will seek the consensus of any
parliamentary party, as we are not in a coalition with the HDZ," the
HSU leader said, adding that the government lacked a long-term policy
of economic development.
(Hina) rml