The Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Naida Nišić, announced that by the end of the year, the introduction of seven-hour working hours can be expected in Montenegro.
She said that social benefits will be fairer in the future and stated that there will be no abolition of them, nor the abolition of the PIO Fund. However, as she added, its reform is certain.
When asked whether seven-hour working hours will be introduced this year, Nišić said in the "Link" program of Radio Montenegro: "What Prime Minister Milojko Sajić announced in the election campaign will happen this year."
She pointed out that there will be no abolition of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO).
"No one has ever mentioned the abolition of the PIO Fund, nor will it happen," said Nišić and said that all decisions under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will be made with the consent of the Social Council, RTCG portal reports.
In that government department, as she said, work is being done on the analysis of the part that concerns proportional pensions.
"We already have 34 ratified and signed Agreements on compulsory insurance with various countries from the surrounding area and Europe. The biggest obstacle is that we did not have an agreement signed with Albania and harmonized with BiH. This is important because of the continuous exchange of data. The agreement with Albania will will soon be in the Parliament for adoption and the draft has been agreed with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Information about it will be with the government this week and then the government will authorize me to sign this important agreement," said Nišić.
Nišić said that all analyzes showed that the biggest injustice was done to pensioners who spent their working lives in different countries.
"Through some analysis, about 3.500 pensioners from the former Yugoslav states receive pensions, and when they are added up, they are lower than the average," said Nišić.
There will be no abolition of the PIO Fund, she said, but, as she said, its reform is certain.
"In which month the changes will be adopted, we should not bid," said Nišić.
She also said that no social benefit will be abolished and that it will be fairer in the future.
"We are here to improve the standard of our citizens and not to collapse it in any way," she said.
She stated that they are working on changing a large part of the legislation and that certain savings will be made in this way. Those laws, she said, were subject to great manipulation.
"Rare and serious diseases were not included in the regulations, and it happened that people exercised their right to other people's care and assistance, which they did not have at that stage. Those who deserved it did not get it," said Nišić.
She also pointed out that the disability institute is being misused and that they expect to save several million euros on that basis.
She also said that a significant number of women who received allowances for mothers with three or more children switched to pensions.
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