Troubles of Pension Age :: Charter'97 :: News

Every forth person in the country is a retired pensioner, while the state economy now owes 80% of monthly expenses to the elderly people. Over the year the number of nominees for pension allowance will augment by more than a third.

What can they do about old mothers and fathers? The Ministry of labor and social protection suggests that they should continue working after reaching the pension age, that is 55-60 years. Gradually, they say, we would lift the pension age to a new height – it won’t be painful to any.

Among those in a pre-pension age, there dwells an expression: “Hopefully, we won’t make it till pension age!”. Many are holding tight to the working places from fear to get retired before time. Those, who failed to hold grab of their job, are job-hunting. And if they don’t find one, they can barely make ends meet. Only a few are provided for by their children.

Why instead of living on pension don’t they thankfully accept the gift of fortune – “second youth”? It would be fine, were it not for the tiredness and sickness. The Ministry, which has been thinking of it a lot, cites an example of many Europeans, who work till the age of 67. But that’s them. In Europe a man of 60 years of age can still be a fiancé, while our man of 60 is either completely exhausted, hard drinking or dead. Our elderly people would be glad to work more, but they are physically unable to do so.

The economy is devastated and in order to rehabilitate it they need young blood, flexible minds and risking staff. However, now they are proposed to replace it all with veterans’ conservatism. With the feeling of great respect for our old laborers, we can’t but confess that senior generations had done in the past everything in their power.

If a decade ago the country had dared embark on the formation of the accumulated pension system, now it would have passed already half-way towards the goal. It usually takes 20 years to launch it, after which one may hope for a proper feedback: elderly people start living at the cost of the funds, which they saved when at work. What do we hear today of that? “Belarusian economy is unprepared for the introduction of the accumulated pension system,” – said recently the chairman of the Permanent commission of the “house of representatives” for labor, social protection, veterans and disabled Sergei Kamenetsky.