"Fighting spongers" starts with pensioners

The Ministry of Labor has found the way to involve the unemployed into the labor activity.

Officials still keep silence on measures provided, "Belorusskie Novosti" writes.

Valery Kavalkou, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection, pointed out that the document has not yet been adopted and now is referred to the dictator's Administration. The way the public finds out the surprise prepared by officials for the unemployed is unknown. The Deputy Minister emphasized that the final word rested with the Head of State.

Valery Kavalkou only noted that the term "sponger" was not legalized in Belarus, and the draft document was prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

It should be reminded that Aliaksandr Lukashenka ordered the Government to make work those officially unemployed to January 1, 2015. "By any means we know and practice, we must make these people work! Lukashenka stressed at the meeting on October 20. - Until January 1 we must make everybody work! "

At the meeting, Lukashenka named some figures. So, according to him, "about 500 000 of our citizens are not involved in the economy." "Let’s assume that 100 000 are housewives and people working in their backyards. And what do the rest 400 000 do? What do they do for living? " — the ruler asked.

He instructed then the Head of his Administration, Andrei Kabiakau and the Secretary of the Security Council Aliaksandr Miazhueu to make proposals on this issue and to the end of the year to report on progress.

Lukashenka then also supported the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs, which had offered to return the rule allowing prosecuting citizens who did not work and evaded employment.

Experts pointed out that the authorities had launched a campaign not against spongers, but against people working illegally. They say the State has an interest to taxes to be paid properly and the funds to the Social Protection Fund (SPF) to be received in sufficient quantity. After all, about 70% of the tax burden in Belarus accrues to deductions for the SPF.

There will be problems with the Fund replenishment, and benefit payments, sick leaves and, especially, pensions will be put at risk. And as the State does not take any measures to reform the pension system, it will look for any means to replenish the Fund.

One of them is to increase the period of obligatory payments to the SPF. So, from January 1, 2015 minimum record of service for retirement pensions and long-service pensions has been increased from 10 to 15 years.

"The implementation of these measures will strengthen the importance of the record of service in pension accounting and workers ' motivation to a long legal career and limit the negative sentiments", Valery Kavalkou said.

Up to 2014 the minimum seniority required for retirement pensions and long-service pensions was 5 years, but since January 1, 2014, it was increased to 10 years, and since January 1, 2015 increased up to 15 years. In addition, from 2015 for citizens without a minimum work experience, it provides an increase in the retirement age to 60 years for women and 65 for men.

Valery Kavalkou can't say how many people of retirement age do not currently have 15 years of work experience as "an assessment of the length of service is done at the time when the data become available in the pension system".

According to the Labor Ministry, there can be approximately 5-10 thousand of these people in Belarus.

What should those do who for various reasons did not work the required number of years for the award of the labor pension?

They will have to work, Valery Kavalkou said. - In case there is no 15 years of service, the pension will not be awarded: woman when 60 years old, a man at 65 years old will be awarded of a social pension, but this pension equals to 50 per cent of the subsistence minimum wage and now is fixed at Br700 000".

The Deputy Minister added that there are no problems in the labor market — each officially unemployed has two vacancies. In fact, it is not a problem to find a job. Another thing is that most of the proposals are not desirable because of low wages.