The pension reform bill is expected to be sent to the social partners within the next few hours, so that they will have it before them during Wednesday’s meeting of the Labor Advisory Council, Minister of Labor and Social Insurance Marinos Mousiouttas told CNA on Tuesday.
The goal, he noted, remains to submit the bill to Parliament in September and implement the reform as of January 1, 2027, so that retirees will see the difference in their pensions on February 1, when the first payment under the new system is made.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Mr. Mousiouttas explained that, because the social partners will receive the bill shortly before the session, they are not expected to be in a position to comment on its provisions.
During the meeting, he said, the Ministry will present the government’s proposal in detail and distribute an informational memo outlining, step by step, the changes made to the proposed bill.
The social partners’ positions, suggestions, and concerns are expected to begin being raised at the next meeting of the Labor Advisory Council on August 28.
Following that session, he added, meetings are expected to take place at more regular intervals and, if necessary, even on a daily basis, in order to address questions, hear suggestions, and examine their feasibility.
“The goal is to bring our views as close together as possible as soon as possible. If there are differences, we will try to minimize or even eliminate them,” the minister said.
Mr. Mousiouttas also told KYPE that an invitation has been sent to the Ministry of Finance so that, if his schedule permits, the Minister of Finance or his representative to attend the meeting and to present once again, in detail, the investment policy that the government has finalized.
As he noted, there are no major differences from what had been presented previously; however, since the process is in its final stage, it was deemed appropriate for the relevant Ministry to make a new presentation.
At the same time, the Minister of Labor stated that the government is open to suggestions from social partners, under two conditions.
“We are open to any suggestions from the social partners, subject to two conditions. First, the philosophy of the system must not change, and second, any proposal that entails additional financial costs must be accompanied by a corresponding proposal for an equivalent cost reduction elsewhere,” he said.
He cited as an example a proposal that would increase a specific expenditure or benefit by €40 million, noting that in such a case, it would be necessary to indicate where the corresponding €40 million could be saved in order to maintain the system’s financial balance.
SEE ALSO: Pension Bill: The Key Issues of the Reform and the Partners’ Conditions | AlphaNews
Source: KYPE
