Presevo, Bujanovac, Medvedja – Aleksandar Vulin, Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, said that it would soon be know how large the increase of salaries and pensions would be, and added that the decision on increasing the minimum wage must be made by September 15.  

Minister Vulin said that the increase of wages and pensions should occur by the end of the year, which, according to him, was much earlier than expected. When it comes to increasing the minimum wage, the Minister said that under the law the decision must be reached by September 15, which should become effective as of January 1, and reminded that approximately 350,000 citizens in Serbia received the minimum wage.  

Speaking on the abolishment of paying the penalties for early retirement, Minister Vulin said that it was the practice to pay penalties for early retirement, adding that Serbia currently had the money and wanted to repay pensioners by abolishing the penalty payments after the age of 65. 

"The state wants you to do your full service, but if you retire early, you pay penalties. It used to be a lifelong obligation, and since we want to thank the pensioners, the state considers that penalties are thing of the past after the age of 65,” Minister Vulin said.

According to him, the law which includes the abolition of penalties will be in the parliamentary procedure in a few months, while the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund will automatically put changes to the law into practice.

Source: RTV Rhythm and Coordination Body