The speaker of Transnistria’s Supreme Soviet, Yevgeny Shevchuk, suggested compelling companies in the unrecognized republic to transfer 1 percent of their incomes to the retirement pensions’ fund to enable quarterly raises, Info-Prim Neo reports. Salaries for the public sector employees will rise only for those who can boast “remarkable achievements”. Nominations for a salary raise will be made by the employers and approved by relevant governmental agencies. Currently, the average salary in the public sector is 1,000 Transnistrian rubles (some $115). According to the Transnistrian ministry of public health and social protection, the minimum retirement pension is 259 rubles (approx. $30), and the minimum amount of the social benefit is 129.5 rubles (approx. $15). The maximum amount of the retirement pension awarded for a standard duration of employment is 370 rubles (about $44). Transnistria has roughly 135,000 pensioners.