ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - Under the temporary conditions, the Government is offering as best as possible solution for an increase in pensions and the settlement of the debt towards retirees, Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister
Davorko Vidovic said on Thursday after his meeting with pensioners' representatives. Present at the meeting were some Government officials, representatives of the six parties which consist the ruling coalition, an organisation of retirees called "Matica Umirovljenika Hrvatske", the society called "Croatian Pensioner" and retirees' union. Minister Vidovic said a draft law on the rise in pensions, the purpose of which is to remove differences of pensions earned in different periods, was in compliance with the 1998 ruling of the Constitution Court. As retirees are not satisfied with the draft act, proposed by the Government, they are offered a possibility that their associ
ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - Under the temporary conditions, the
Government is offering as best as possible solution for an increase
in pensions and the settlement of the debt towards retirees,
Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic said on
Thursday after his meeting with pensioners' representatives.
Present at the meeting were some Government officials,
representatives of the six parties which consist the ruling
coalition, an organisation of retirees called "Matica
Umirovljenika Hrvatske", the society called "Croatian Pensioner"
and retirees' union.
Minister Vidovic said a draft law on the rise in pensions, the
purpose of which is to remove differences of pensions earned in
different periods, was in compliance with the 1998 ruling of the
Constitution Court.
As retirees are not satisfied with the draft act, proposed by the
Government, they are offered a possibility that their associations
draft another act which will be sent into the parliamentary
procedure as well, Vidovic said and added that all governmental
services will give their expert assistance to pensioners in their
attempt to elaborate a law on the rise in pensions and the
settlement of the state debt towards them.
Vidovic admitted that the Government's draft act, under which
pensions will climb as of 1 January 2001, depending on the year when
a person is retired from 14 to 20 percent, would not entirely
resolve the problem of the debt towards retirees.
The Government, however, cannot assume greater obligations towards
the present-day retirees to the detriment of the coming generations
of pensioners, Vidovic added.
He said the Government would like to get proposals that can improve
the current draft act.
Such proposals will be considered after the Government's draft act
is debated by the national parliament next week.
On behalf of the pensioners' associations, Alojz Malogorski said
they were willing to hold talks on the improvement of the draft act.
In case the societies and the Government fail to reach agreement on
this draft act, pensioners will submit another law, he said.
(hina) jn ms