The Socialist MPs harshly criticized the new bill on the pension system, especially the provisions concerning the gradual rise in the retirement age from 57 to 62 for women and from 62 to 65 for men staring with January 1, 2017, IPN reports.

MP Vlad Batrancea said the bill satisfies the conditions imposed by the IMF and is detrimental to the population. It was approved by the Government without being debated publicly. ”Now life expectancy for men in Moldova is about 67.5 years and most of the men may not reach retirement age if the new reform is implemented. Given that the population continues to migrate, there could be no people to contribute to the pension fund in the near future,” stated the lawmaker.

Socialist MP Grigore Novac noted the enormous discrepancy between the pensions of the largest part of the population, which are of about 700-800 lei, and the pensions of a privileged group of beneficiaries, including judges, prosecutors and members of the Government, which are larger than 12,000 lei. The new pension reform changes nothing in this regard.

The MPs said they will not support this bill in Parliament and will do their best to stop its coming into force. They called on civil society to show their opposition to the bill as the solution is not in the rise in the retirement age, but in the economic development, which can be ensured by restoring the commercial relations with Russia, attracting investment, creating jobs and motivating the people to live and work in Moldova. But the current government is unable to do this.