HERITAGE PARTY REP: PRESSURED "FROM ABOVE," EMPLOYERS MAY BAN THEIR EMPLOYEES TO FILE STATEMENTS REFUSING FROM MAKING PENSION PAYMENTS
by Ashot Safaryan
ARMINFO
Friday, May 16, 14:21
The amendments to the Law On Funded Pension initiated by the Government
and passed by the Parliament are, inherently, a halfway measure, unable
to give a long- term solution to the problem. Armenian Parliamentarian
from Heritage Party Tevan Poghosyan told reporters on 16 May.
The parliamentarian fears that pressured 'from above' employers will
simply ban their employees to write a statement refusing to make
compulsory pension payments over time. "After a while, the government
may declare that most of the citizens do not refuse from the funded
pension and return to the initial version of the law," Poghosyan said.
According to him, it would be logical if the citizens who do not oppose
the funded pension wrote applications for voluntary participation in
the funded pension system.
The oppositionist thinks the authorities manipulate and the amendments
made to the law seek to weaken the public movement, otherwise, they
would settle the problem once and forever.
On 15 May the Armenian parliament approved the extended option of
amendments to the law "On funded pension" that was submitted by the
government. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan
said that the bill suggests adding a provision that will relieve
the citizens falling under the pension reforms of the responsibility
for non- payment or failure to meet the time limit for the relevant
payments. In addition, if a citizen files a statement that he refuses
to participate in the accumulative system, the employer has the
right not to make the relevant calculations to transfer the pension
contributions.
by Ashot Safaryan
ARMINFO
Friday, May 16, 14:21
The amendments to the Law On Funded Pension initiated by the Government
and passed by the Parliament are, inherently, a halfway measure, unable
to give a long- term solution to the problem. Armenian Parliamentarian
from Heritage Party Tevan Poghosyan told reporters on 16 May.
The parliamentarian fears that pressured 'from above' employers will
simply ban their employees to write a statement refusing to make
compulsory pension payments over time. "After a while, the government
may declare that most of the citizens do not refuse from the funded
pension and return to the initial version of the law," Poghosyan said.
According to him, it would be logical if the citizens who do not oppose
the funded pension wrote applications for voluntary participation in
the funded pension system.
The oppositionist thinks the authorities manipulate and the amendments
made to the law seek to weaken the public movement, otherwise, they
would settle the problem once and forever.
On 15 May the Armenian parliament approved the extended option of
amendments to the law "On funded pension" that was submitted by the
government. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artem Asatryan
said that the bill suggests adding a provision that will relieve
the citizens falling under the pension reforms of the responsibility
for non- payment or failure to meet the time limit for the relevant
payments. In addition, if a citizen files a statement that he refuses
to participate in the accumulative system, the employer has the
right not to make the relevant calculations to transfer the pension
contributions.