Montenegrin pensioners will receive increased January pensions on February 20th, but the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO) is still not specifying the amount of the increase. However, as things stand now, it could be between seven and eight percent.
"What I can say with certainty is that it will be higher than all three increases in 2024. Let me remind you, the January increase last year was 2,08 percent, in May it was 1,93 percent, and the highest was in September, 2,4 percent. So this January increase will be significantly higher, but we will know exactly how much at the end of January after Monstat publishes the official data," Vladimir Drobnjak, director of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, told TV Vijesti.
When asked what happened to the figure of 50 euros, which was presented by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Drobnjak said:
"I can say that it will be an approximate figure. In the previous period, the inflation rate was slightly higher, which the Government, through timely measures, before the 'Europe Now 2' program, significantly curbed. Lately, we have had low inflation. And that affects the increase in pensions, so we cannot know in advance how much exactly, but it will be approximately that figure."
The average pension in Montenegro is currently 521 euros, and the minimum 450. Drobnjak hopes that the amendments to the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance will be adopted at the same time as the budget for this year, which will be good news for pensioners who receive proportional pensions that they have earned in Montenegro and in another country. Most of them will receive 450 euros under the new law, which is not the case now. The adjustment of pensions by January 2026 will not apply to the minimum pensions that were part of the "Europe Now 1" program.
The Pension and Disability Insurance Fund is entering this year with a multi-million deficit.
"There will be a deficit of about 28 percent, which will be slightly less than the 200 million deficit of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund for 2024," said Drobnjak.
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