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I do not think so about my vaccination and how to better organize the immunization of people in social homes, says the Minister of Labor and Social Policy
More highlights:
– The minimum pension no decreases why the second
– We do not make fine calculations how the crisis will affect GERB’s image, the important thing is to protect people’s health
– there are question marks how to organize elections to be safe for health. Let the president say it
– The state managed to keep 250 thousand jobs with 60/40 so far, the measures continue
– Minister Sacheva, as of January 1, the minimum pension will be 300 BGN, until April the bonuses of 50 BGN will continue to be given, while the increase for all will be 5% from July. Was this the best solution because there were opinions that this money could be used to recalculate or lift the weight of the coefficient and thus make it fairer and not disrupt the system?
– The best are possible and balanced solutions. The promise of a minimum pension of BGN 300 is part of the election and management program, so we are fulfilling our commitment.
There is speculation about the new calculation of pensions. We have repeatedly explained that this requires a lot of resources and, again, it will not be fair to everyone. If pensions were recalculated with 2015 earnings, half of Bulgarian pensioners would be left without any supplements. We have repeatedly talked about the 50 levs. These are supplements that are administered in coronary crisis. The average monthly expenditure of retirees on medicines is BGN 56. All retirees now need health prevention and extra money for medicines. They are among the most vulnerable groups. Social policy must be for everyone. Yes, it evens out the inequalities. But there must be specific support that is universal, so that every Bulgarian citizen feels that the state really supports him when there is a need, and especially at this time of crisis that affects everyone.
– And how will they feel in April, when they will no longer receive the bonus. Are you considering a new type of social support for the poorest retirees?
– In April, people with pensions between BGN 300.01 and BGN 369 will receive the supplement of BGN 120 for food. Then they will be supported again. It is no coincidence that we set this to happen exactly in April, so that there is a smoother transition between the supplements of BGN 50 each and the indexation of pensions as of July 1, 2021.
– How will you distribute these one-time BGN 120 food vouchers so that there are no crowds at the doors of welfare?
– We decided to pay lump sums to reduce administrative costs. The lists will be provided by the National Institute of Social Security and the funds will be paid through the Social Assistance Agency.
We listened to everyone who criticized the voucher idea. We also take into account the idea that there should not be a different percentage increase for different pensions. This was born during the “24 hour” discussion.
– You have proposed changes to the second pension: there will be a window for those who did not meet the transfer deadline, but how will people know which option is best for them?
– There should be an information campaign, which should be carried out mainly by the universal pension insurance funds themselves, because they are the most interested in informing about how and in what way the pensions will be paid. Each of your clients must be well informed about the amount they can count on, because it depends on the individual account. Some may have a life pension, but many of the first women to retire will prefer to receive a lump sum or installment.
– Will the minimum pension be reduced if people decide to leave their money in private pension funds?
– The minimum pension cannot be reduced, because it would be an additional blow to people’s confidence in the pension system.
– The reduction of the State Social Security pensions will now be 9%, will it reduce the cases in which two pensions are less than one?
– I think that to a large extent it will allow the real amount of pensions to be fairer. As of November 2020, there are almost 154 thousand pensioners with paid labor pensions with a reduced individual coefficient, of which more than 90% are disability pensions. This means that for around 87 thousand pensioners there will be no change in the minimum amount of the pension paid with the change in the reduction coefficient. Nor will it affect the payments of the maximum pension amount when the actual amount exceeds the limit and is limited by it. Those who receive a pension for seniority and age in conditions of early retirement with a reduced coefficient are about 14 thousand people. For them, the change will have a positive effect, but only when the current amount of the pension is calculated in the range between the minimum and maximum amounts established.
– Unemployment doubled in the first week of new measures against the coronavirus. Will the various programs help businesses and workers survive these tough times?
– The fact is that in recent days the number of unemployed has increased, and the reasons are different. One of them is the closure of various sectors. We continue working and we will do everything possible so that 60/40, 80/20 and measure 80/0 continue after the New Year, looking for an option to consolidate them and have less administrative burden. But the 80/20 measure for the sectors “Hotels, restaurants and tourism”, “Tourism” and “Transport” will continue in its current form.
We are also looking for additional resources from European funds and programs to be able to fully support employment.
We still hope to end December with an unemployment rate of around 7%. We follow the worrying trends with the increase in the number of unemployed, but I hope that at least at this stage we will keep unemployment within a single digit number. So far, more than BGN 593 million have been transferred under measure 60/40 to preserve 250,000 jobs. 2204 applications were submitted to maintain the employment of 35,578 workers under the 80/20 measure. There are more than 2,231 applications for 10,802 employees under the BGN 24-a-day compensation program.
– The program has changed to support parents who cannot go to work due to closed schools. What are the results?
– We have a boom in applications – 24,614 are to date and those approved are 1,608 people, but the review continues. There are far fewer rejections at the moment, and the change in judgment has certainly paid off. This program will continue next year and BGN 73 million and BGN 7 million by the end of this year.
– What new measures are you preparing for next year?
– The launching of projects of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan is expected. They are related to the reconversion of the unemployed, but also to the improvement of the skills of employees. We have a proposal to use part of the part-time work that some companies have introduced due to the pandemic for training. People will receive training vouchers and improve their digital skills, but also social ones, which are part of the so-called Soft Skills.
– Do you have an estimate of the number of workers who have switched to home office mode? According to many experts, this type of employment, imposed by the new reality of COVID, will continue after the pandemic. Will there be a new type of measure to help vulnerable groups of workers who for some reason cannot meet the new conditions, and will the idea of a job change at all?
– We do not have these statistics, but we already know that distance education must be combined. The same goes for working from home, because the traditional workplace will not disappear. Working from home allows you to better combine work and personal life, but it does not always have good efficiency and productivity.
New questions were also raised: Should a home workplace meet healthy and safe working conditions? Should it also be controlled by the General Labor Inspectorate? Is it an accident at work if you fall at home while working? These debates have been opened. Future talks between unions and employers are likely to seek better regulations on how to use your home as a workplace. Of course, for some industries, like high tech, working from home is becoming a standard. For others, it is still impossible.
– Will you be vaccinated?
– I want to know the information about vaccines. Of course, I am more inclined to get vaccinated, but only after being well informed. My son and I have all the required vaccinations. I am not against vaccines. At the moment I am not thinking about how they will vaccinate me, but how we will organize the process around the vaccination of people in social institutions, because there are about 15 thousand people and the workforce is about 10 thousand. Of course, everything will be voluntary and optional after Information campaign. For users with mental disabilities or mental health problems, your guardian will sign a declaration of consent. In some cases it is a close relative, but sometimes it is the director of the house or the mayor.
We have many cases that we still have to solve together with our colleagues from the Ministry of Health. But with a clear plan and a good organization, we could do it by the end of March.
– President Rumen Radev has already announced that parliamentary elections will be held on March 28. Is it good for them to be on the first possible date with the big unknowns so far – how the sick and quarantined will vote, how to avoid overcrowding, how machine voting will take place, etc.?
– The government has no authority to interfere in the date of the elections. This is entirely within the prerogatives of the president. We would not want the slightest shadow of a doubt that we are trying to postpone the elections or that we are trying in some way to extend our mandate. Yes, there are certainly questions about what the electoral turnout will be in the midst of the crisis and how the elections will be organized so that they can be completely safe. We will do our part of the homework, but we will leave the decision to the president. So let you tell what your considerations and measurements are. Lately, you like to speak through your Strategy Council, who may have interesting insights and ideas on how to ensure safety and what could be done about it.
– Is GERB afraid of a criminal vote?
– We do not make small calculations about how the crisis will affect our image. Despite the pressure, the compromising war and the electoral campaign, which started too early, we decided not to resign and remain with the clear awareness that a very difficult autumn and winter awaits us. We must constantly address the challenges of protecting people’s lives and health. Finding the right social and economic measures for companies and people, and now the organization of vaccinations. We trust that people will judge us for our actions. All those who are criticizing us at the moment are people who could hardly act effectively and be a real competition for the government.
CV
– Born on November 2, 1973 in Sofia
– Master’s in Public Relations from the University of Sofia “St. Cl. Ohridski ”and in health management
– Bachelor of Social Pedagogy
– From 1999 to 2001 he was Chief of Staff of the Minister of Health, responsible for relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Commission.
– From 2016 to April 2017 he was Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy in Boyko Borissov’s second cabinet
– From 2017-2019 he is Vice Minister of Education and Science
– Current Minister of Labor and Social Policy
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