Lukashenko has ignored its own promise to “consult the people” on the issue of raising the retirement age and thereby spat in the face of all Belarusians, having signed the decree about increase of pension age in the country. Belarusians will clear itself and will work to death? Alyaksandr Lukashenka on 11 April signed a decree №137 “On improving pension provision”. According to his press service, “the document aims to improve retirement security in changing socio-demographic conditions.”
The decree provides from 1 January 2017 the gradual annual increase at 6 months normal retirement age until the men 63 years, women — 58 years; a similar increase (3 years after 6 years) of the age of eligibility for concessionary labor pension and pension for years of service; proportionate civil gradual increase in the age limit condition in the military servicemen.
In accordance with the decree recommended to the heads of organizations (regardless of ownership) expand the use of the practice of participation of employers and employees in the voluntary additional pension insurance.
Raising the retirement age authorities argue insufficiency of funds in the pension Fund, however, according to unofficial information, money from the pension Fund in addition to pension payments are also to funding government programs, nothing to do with the pensioners. Since the crisis the state budget is fairly exhausted, it must be assumed that the authorities thus want to replenish the Treasury.
We will remind, half a year ago Lukashenko promised Belarus should consult with people before to raise the retirement age. As he said then, the question of raising the retirement age could “only be resolved through people”.
“We have to consult with them, going to convince them, seek their consent,” — said in October last year, Lukashenko. “We ask for their support, he said. — Agree — will change. No means no. We always write the state for the people. So let’s listen to the people,” he concluded. But the only legitimate way to “consult the people” is the referendum, which, incidentally, could be held in the autumn together with the “parliamentary” elections.
However, unlike all previous referendums Lukashenko knows that the absolute majority of Belarusians would say “no” to raising the retirement age and then they would have to sign a decree contrary to the opinion of the people, admitting thereby that the state is Lukashenko is not “government for the people”, as he constantly reminds the Belarusians, and the state is anti-people.
Apparently, that is why Lukashenka decided to spit on our promise, and the opinion of Belarusians. Advocating in recent years the issue of raising the retirement age authorities have cited what a strange sociological surveys of Lukashenka’s Informational-analytical center, while at the Institute of sociology of the Academy of Sciences stated that the issue of raising the retirement age in Belarus they have not studied, because no one asked.
Meanwhile, according to statistics, the life expectancy for men in Belarus — 66 years and raising the retirement age to 63 years virtually eliminates for many of them the opportunity to live in retirement even a year or two, not to mention the five-year period. By the way, Belarusians still oppose raising the retirement age precisely because it is banal are afraid not to survive until retirement.
Help. The increase in the retirement age, according to the national statistics Committee, the authorities will save 21 billion rubles a year, as the country will be about 630 thousand pensioners less. But with more than 10 thousand people of those who could under current regulations to live on a pension before retirement will not survive…
