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PENSION REFORM: CIVIC GROUP ASKS FOR NEW BILL ON MANDATORY DEDUCTIONS
Pensions | 12.06.14 | 14:37
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Members of Dem.am civic campaign fighting against a law that makes
mandatory pension deductions from salaries turned to the parliamentary
non-aligned forces suggesting to install a new bill regarding the
pension reform into the Parliament agenda, which will be entirely
different from the current functioning law.
Last night Dem.am civic campaign held a "support march" in the main
streets of Yerevan in support of those who are under pressure from
their employers not to withdraw from the pension system.
On May 15 the National Assembly accepted the bill about making
amendments to the Armenian law about "Pension reform", which was
ratified by President Serzh Sargsyan on May 26 and will remain in
power till September 30. According to the new law the citizens who
do not want to be a part of the system can submit applications to
their employers requesting not to make deductions.
However, Dem.am received various calls stating that many employers
keep their employees under pressure not allowing them to submit
applications.
"We received such calls from Brusov Yerevan State Linguistic
University, Heratsi Medical University Chaykovski Secondary school. We
have the same picture in many other schools, educational, medical and
other state institutions. There are also institutions - Yerevan State
University, Slavonic University - where the employees are allowed to
easily submit the applications," said Dem.am campaign member Srbuhi
Ghazaryan.
Another Dem.am member, Armen Aboyan mentioned that besides harsh
pressure there are cases when they try to confuse people saying that
they will be freed from the mandatory component for two months only,
and afterwards they will have to pay again.
Participants of the march mention that particularly state system
and educational sphere workers are subjected to various pressure,
at times having to submit application of resignation together with
the application of withdrawal from the pension system.
"Support march" participants were met by Prime Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan in front of the Government building, yet they refused to
talk to him stating that they did not come to speak, but to say that
they evaluate the government's work as zero.
"In the new law about pension the cumulative pension fund must be set
as voluntary, otherwise our movement will speed up," participants of
the march stated.
In front of the Government building Davit Manukyan addressed the PM
saying that they do not abide even his subjects.
"You cannot work, you lie to people. You rob the people. But people
are not stupid, are not uneducated and can demand. But we will make
you abide the citizens' will. We will uproot the slave-mindedness
originated from Soviet times out of you," Manukyan said.
In response to the questions the PM told reporters that applications
for withdrawal from the pension system are accepted everywhere,
and those who do not will be fired.
This week in the NA at a question-and-answer session with the
Government NA Dashnaktsutyun faction MP Aghvan Vardanyan demanded
political announcement from the government that employers who refuse
to accept applications about withdrawal from the pension system will
be penalized.
Territorial Administration Minister, vice-PM Armen Gevorgyan answered
saying that the problem is in the focus of the Government, because
they also received such calls.
"Actions directed to solving the problems related to those calls are
realized. The law will be applied the way it was accepted by the
Parliament. In either case, there has never been any instructions
against or contradicting the law made by officials," the vice-PM
assured.
http://armenianow.com/society/pensions/55193/armenia_pension_reform_serzh_sargsyan_hovik_abraha myan
From: A. Papazian
Pensions | 12.06.14 | 14:37
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow reporter
Members of Dem.am civic campaign fighting against a law that makes
mandatory pension deductions from salaries turned to the parliamentary
non-aligned forces suggesting to install a new bill regarding the
pension reform into the Parliament agenda, which will be entirely
different from the current functioning law.
Last night Dem.am civic campaign held a "support march" in the main
streets of Yerevan in support of those who are under pressure from
their employers not to withdraw from the pension system.
On May 15 the National Assembly accepted the bill about making
amendments to the Armenian law about "Pension reform", which was
ratified by President Serzh Sargsyan on May 26 and will remain in
power till September 30. According to the new law the citizens who
do not want to be a part of the system can submit applications to
their employers requesting not to make deductions.
However, Dem.am received various calls stating that many employers
keep their employees under pressure not allowing them to submit
applications.
"We received such calls from Brusov Yerevan State Linguistic
University, Heratsi Medical University Chaykovski Secondary school. We
have the same picture in many other schools, educational, medical and
other state institutions. There are also institutions - Yerevan State
University, Slavonic University - where the employees are allowed to
easily submit the applications," said Dem.am campaign member Srbuhi
Ghazaryan.
Another Dem.am member, Armen Aboyan mentioned that besides harsh
pressure there are cases when they try to confuse people saying that
they will be freed from the mandatory component for two months only,
and afterwards they will have to pay again.
Participants of the march mention that particularly state system
and educational sphere workers are subjected to various pressure,
at times having to submit application of resignation together with
the application of withdrawal from the pension system.
"Support march" participants were met by Prime Minister Hovik
Abrahamyan in front of the Government building, yet they refused to
talk to him stating that they did not come to speak, but to say that
they evaluate the government's work as zero.
"In the new law about pension the cumulative pension fund must be set
as voluntary, otherwise our movement will speed up," participants of
the march stated.
In front of the Government building Davit Manukyan addressed the PM
saying that they do not abide even his subjects.
"You cannot work, you lie to people. You rob the people. But people
are not stupid, are not uneducated and can demand. But we will make
you abide the citizens' will. We will uproot the slave-mindedness
originated from Soviet times out of you," Manukyan said.
In response to the questions the PM told reporters that applications
for withdrawal from the pension system are accepted everywhere,
and those who do not will be fired.
This week in the NA at a question-and-answer session with the
Government NA Dashnaktsutyun faction MP Aghvan Vardanyan demanded
political announcement from the government that employers who refuse
to accept applications about withdrawal from the pension system will
be penalized.
Territorial Administration Minister, vice-PM Armen Gevorgyan answered
saying that the problem is in the focus of the Government, because
they also received such calls.
"Actions directed to solving the problems related to those calls are
realized. The law will be applied the way it was accepted by the
Parliament. In either case, there has never been any instructions
against or contradicting the law made by officials," the vice-PM
assured.
http://armenianow.com/society/pensions/55193/armenia_pension_reform_serzh_sargsyan_hovik_abraha myan
From: A. Papazian