Monitor: Voice-SD Insists on 13th Pension Unchanged, PS Wants It More Targeted

(TA3,'V politike', 3 May) Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) claimed that Voice-SD insists on maintaining the current setup of the 13th pension and said that as long as the party remains in government, it will not be altered. According to his opposite number Simona Petrik, vice-chair of the opposition's Progressive Slovakia, the 13th pension requires greater targeting given the economic situation. "Interventions in this system, even those disguised as targeting and so on, could disrupt it to such an extent that in the end the 13th pension would no longer exist," the minister warned. He added that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told him during a review day at the Labour Ministry that the 13th pension won't be changed. Petrik replied that if Progressive Slovakia forms government, the 13th pensions will become more targeted, which she considers necessary due to the poor economic situation. Tomas announced that the government plans to present pro-growth measures prepared in cooperation with the University of Economics, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and employers, once approved by the coalition council. He expects the package to include the abolition of the transaction tax, which he personally supports. mf