Moldova Implements 6% Pension Increase Amidst Retirement Struggles
Pensions will be indexed by six percent starting April 1st. A draft resolution to this effect is on the ministers' table and is set to be approved on Wednesday at the Government meeting.
According to the document, indexing will be done for the portion of the pension that does not exceed the average monthly wage in the economy, which is 13,700 lei. For these increases, the executive will allocate almost one and a half billion lei, of which over one billion lei are from the social security budget, and the remaining funds are from the state budget.
Maria Bivol, aged 75, recounts her 40-year tenure at the Social Service House in Chisinau. For this contribution period, she currently receives a pension of 3,700 lei. Following the 6 percent indexing from April 1st, her pension will increase to 3,922 lei. Nevertheless, she acknowledges her struggle to manage with these funds, only affording the essentials.
Elena Tonu also had a full contribution period, working for over 40 years in various medical capacities. Despite her service, her pension is currently 2,500 lei. She expresses her difficulty in managing her finances, even with additional assistance for heating.
Other retirees echo similar sentiments, highlighting the insufficiency of their pensions to maintain a decent standard of living.
In addition, statistics from the National Social Insurance House indicate over 650,000 pension beneficiaries in the Republic of Moldova. Among them, 9,802 individuals receive pensions exceeding the average wage of 13,700 lei.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
