PS: 13th Pensions Present to Pellegrini for Presidential Campaign

Bratislava, November 21 (TASR) - By introducing thirteenth pensions, Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) obviously wants to provide a campaign present to his party leader Peter Pellegrini for next year's presidential election, said parliamentary human rights committee head Lucia Plavakova (Progressive Slovakia/PS) on Tuesday. However, Tomas is avoiding answers to questions related to changes in the pension scheme, stated Plavakova. The committee was again supposed to discuss draft changes in the tax allocation for NGOs due to the need to obtain money for full 13th pensions, but, like last week, the committee wasn't quorate on Tuesday. Part of the money for 13th pensions should be obtained by changing the way in which so-called parental pensions are paid. Instead of via levies, they should come from the assigned part of their children's income tax. "With his harmful proposal, minister Tomas is making hostages of NGOs that are engaged in beneficial activities and help, among others, pensioners, about whom the minister claims to care. We, along with representatives of NGOs, tried to discuss the issue with him at a human rights committee session for the second time, but Minister Tomas again made sure that the committee wasn't quorate," stated Plavakova. MPs for the coalition parties, which have a majority, were not present for the committee session. The coalition Voice-SD party is pushing for a full 13th pension. Its representatives on Tuesday reiterated that for technical reasons this won't be paid out this year but next year. Therefore, the labour minister submitted and the government approved a one-off contribution amounting to €150 that should be paid this year. Parliament should deal with the proposal at the ongoing session via fast-track proceedings. Meanwhile, the amount of the contribution should be increased to €300. ko/df