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Initiative
for the introduction of social pensions
The biggest part of the poor in Serbia are the elderly.
In order to target this problem, the HumanaS network of
organizations that work for and with the elderly, is
initiating the campaign for introduction of social
pensions as a mechanism for combating poverty of
population older than 65 years, that do not have any
personal income.
To address this situation, in a systematic and targeted
way that engages both statutory and civil society
sectors, Help the Aged has supported the process in
providing the expertise of Mr. Asghar Zaidi, Senior
Economist at the Social Policy Division of OECD in Paris
and expert on pension reforms and their implications.
Together with the representatives of HumanaS network,
Mr. Zaidi has met the most relevant representatives of
the governmental institutions such as Ministry of labor
and social policy, Team of implementation of Strategy
for poverty reduction within the Vice Prime minister’s
office, Council for the aging etc.
Civil society organizations in Serbia are advocating
for introduction of social pensions covered from the
state budget, for all citizens older than 65 years who
do not have any income.
Ms. Ljiljana Lučić, State secretary in the Ministry of
Labor and Social policy, has supported these proposals
and emphasized that the Government would be willing to
explore the possibility of introducing social pensions
providing the more in-depth analysis is priory done.
In addition, the Organizations of civil society in
Serbia are proposing to reduce the number of years of
pension insurance necessary for acquiring the right for
pension, from 15 to 10 years of pension insurance
contribution. Assistant to the Minister, Ms. Ljiljana
Radifković, has said that the Ministry would be very
cooperative in this matter; however she has emphasized
the need for detailed analysis of number of potential
beneficiaries of such pensions as well as estimation of
the funds necessary.
Members of the Team for implementation of Poverty
Reduction Strategy have expressed their commitment to
propose introduction of measures that would target the
most vulnerable groups in order to mitigate the poverty,
therefore the elderly as one of the groups most prone to
the poverty risk.
As all participants of the discussions agreed, on the
long run, the number of beneficiaries of social pensions
is projected to fall, if the sustainability of the
pension system would grow (based on the better coverage
rate), and the employment rate would increase, so there
would be decrease of number of individuals without any
coverage.
Organizations of civil society will in the coming period
prepare the needs assessment as well as baseline study
of the conditions for introduction of social pensions,
and present it to the relevant state bodies in order to
continue lobbing for the introduction of this instrument
in the Serbian system.
From the training
on introduction of social pensions for the members of
HumanaS Network
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