The government's efforts should be directed at increasing revenues in the pension system, since the average pension of 1,013 leva is 50% of the expenses that a person has to make in one month, and those pensioners who receive around the average pension are miserable. This was stated to "Focus" by financial expert Mika Zaikova.
According to the specialist, the first thing that needs to be done is to cleanse the Pension Fund of all parasitic payments that are not related to the insurance contribution, such as the so-called. social pensions, which according to her are "pure social assistance", as well as supplementary payments under TELKs and other supplements. The other important thing that needs to be done is to eliminate the maximum social security income, since "the maximum social security income and the maximum pension produce poor pensioners".
The maximum pension should be increased gradually so as not to exhaust this resource: "This way, within 10 years, the deficit will be reduced and we will not steal from the future of our children, because the deficit in the Pension Fund is paid from the budget." The contribution to the Second and Third Pillars should be increased slowly, the financial expert also pointed out, and private pension funds should be involved in operations that bring higher returns with the consent of the insured.
But in order for social security contributions to grow, people's incomes must also grow, added Mika Zaikova. Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a growth in expenses, which is making people increasingly poorer.
“The inequality in different regions of the country is nightmarish. But in small villages and people with higher education are forced to receive small salaries, and the gray sector is growing, which saves on social security costs and the budget, because people are forced to take the minimum wage and receive something from under the table,“ she pointed out and added that the IMF recommendations should not be ignored, but that one should consider reforming the tax system and introducing income taxation, both in terms of income and corporate tax.