Finance Minister Sinisa Mali told Tanjug that one of the topics at the meeting with the representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October will be the refinement of the Swiss model of pension growth, which means that the growth of pensions is harmonized with the growth of salaries and inflation.
Mali says that the Swiss model of pension growth is the best possible model that protects the interests of pensioners.
“In the next few days, we will have information about the planned increase in pensions for next year, considering that we are just finishing the analysis of the growth of salaries and inflation by September,” said Mali.
He announces that these data will be made public, and that by the end of next week, the Government of Serbia will come out with a proposal to increase the minimum wage for 2021.
“Regardless of the great problems that exist in the functioning of the global economy, things are going more or less normally in Serbia. So, we are going with an increase and we will certainly go with an increase in the minimum wage and with an increase in pensions for 2021,” Mali emphasized.
Asked whether there will be salary increases in the public sector by the end of the year, Mali said that it is too early to talk about it until the data on the inflow of VAT into the budget arrive in October.
“Our inflows into the budget in June and July are better than we expected, and the same goes for the first half of August,” said Mali, adding that the Budget Proposal for 2021 will be ready in October and that it will be known then how much will be the salary increase.
He emphasizes that the state’s priority is to maintain and raise the living standards of Serbian citizens, which are proof of strong measures to support the economy during the crisis, but emphasizes that it should be responsible and not allow the budget balance and macroeconomic balance to be disturbed.
The Swiss formula for the growth of pensions means that for 1.7 million pensioners in Serbia, pensions are increased according to the model which implies adjustment with 50 percent of inflation and 50 percent growth of the average salary, Nova reports.
