Romania considers raising retirement age

Prime Minister of Romania Ilie Bolojan said that retirement age must go up for all categories, so that the population aged 50 to 65 engaged in the real economy be in greater numbers than it is today, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Asked if the third reform package would also include the measures on the other professional categories receiving special pensions, besides magistrates, Bolojan told TVR Info national television show that more people are needed on the labour market.

'To this end, like it or not, we must increase retirement age so that in the 50-65 years of age interval, the population engaged in the real economy be in a greater share than it is today, as there is no one to replace it.'

He explained that if retirement age didn't go up, in general, for all categories, including in the special pension area, there would be reached 'a situation where the pension system becomes unsustainable' in five or ten years.

Asked if the third reform package would also include economic relaunch measures announced by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Bolojan pointed out that any good proposal is welcome no matter who thought of it, adding that what mattered the most was being responsible and serious while implementing the envisaged measures. For instance, he said, if the government announces personnel cuts, it means that is exactly what needs to be done, not cut vacant positions, as there would not result in any real effects.

According to the prime minister, this type of relaunch measures must also be prepared.

'During those two months that this Government has been in Romania's service we had some very big fires, so that we had to work on extinguishing the financial fires, reset the market confidence in what we do in Romania, correct the trajectories that were leading to a taxation dead end, this is the truth, and indeed, in the next step we must think and have prepared this type of relaunch measures,' he added.