“I want people to understand that the government wants a fair pension system, where rewards for functions and other merits should be granted from the state budget, not the social insurance budget”, stated Labor and Social Protection Minister Valentina Buliga at a press conference on Friday. The reaction comes after reports appeared in the press that MPs' pensions would rise by 14% from 2012, while other categories of recipients would get only a 2% indexation. Valentina Buliga denied these reports, saying that the pension reform aimed at developing a fair pension system. The Minister said that the pension system didn't differentiate beneficiaries on any other criteria than the degree of participation in the system, that is, the size of the contribution to the social insurance program and the length of contribution. According to Valentina Buliga, the ongoing reforms aim to avoid the collapse of the pension system and also to ensure a decent pension to each beneficiary. In another development, Valentina Buliga said that the Ministry was developing a plan to reduce illegal employment and illegal remuneration. Further, the Ministry wants the ongoing reforms to help young people remain in the country and to stimulate higher birth rates.