Vladimir Drobnjak, the Acting Director of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO), assured that pensions will remain secure and could potentially increase. Despite the anticipated reduction in contributions, which will lower the Fund’s budget revenue, the fiscal strategy outlines measures to offset this loss.
In response to recent public concerns about pension increases and payments, the PIO Fund reiterated Drobnjak’s earlier statements, which represent the official position of the Fund as the authority responsible for implementing the Pension and Disability Insurance Law.
Drobnjak detailed that the fiscal strategy includes several measures to make up for the budget deficit, such as introducing taxes on gambling, taxing real estate, applying a uniform 15% tax rate in tourism, and marking fuel. Additionally, the Fund’s budget will benefit from expected wage increases, which will broaden the tax base and help reduce the shadow economy.
He stressed that pensions will continue to be secure, as the law guarantees regular payments to retirees, with the government ensuring these payments from the state budget.
“Pensions will not decrease in the future, although personal coefficients for some groups may be lower,” Drobnjak noted.
It was also highlighted that a negative personal coefficient is not the sole factor in pension calculations. The calculation considers two other critical parameters: the length of service and the value of a pension point, which also influence the final pension amount.