TRIFUNOVIĆ: GOVERNMENT MEASURES IMPORTANT FOR IMPROVING PENSIONERS' STANDARD OF LIVING

BANJA LUKA, AUGUST 25 /SRNA/ - Head of the Republika Srpska Pensioners Association Ratko Trifunović told SRNA that the measures introduced by the Srpska Government this year are very important as they have improved the financial position of the elderly population.

"Pensions were increased by 6.45 percent in January, while the August pension will be increased by 3.55 percent, bringing the total increase to 10 percent. This shows that pension increases are keeping pace with the increase in the average salary in Srpska. When we analyze salary growth over a longer period, pension growth has been several percentage points higher than average salary growth," Trifunović said. He recalled that Republika Srpska Finance Minister Zora Vidović recently announced the possibility of providing additional assistance to pensioners by the end of the year, and expressed hope that funds would be earmarked for this purpose. Trifunović stressed that it would be good if pensioners received even more, adding that only around 10,000 pensioners had worked a full 40 years, while the others had worked significantly fewer years. He also described as very important the one-off assistance that will be paid to pensioners by the end of August, amounting to BAM 120 or BAM 80, depending on the amount of their pension. Trifunović said that an initiative by Republika Srpska National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić to subsidize accommodation in nursing homes for pensioners receiving the lowest pensions was also significant, adding that this would be regulated by law. "The cost of accommodation in these homes ranges between BAM 1,000 and 1,400, and the difference would be paid from the Srpska budget," he said. Trifunović recalled that this year BAM 3.3 million had been allocated to provide free stays at Republika Srpska spas for 6,000 pensioners receiving the lowest pensions. The spas are Banja Vrućica, Vilina Vlas, Banja Dvorovi, Banja Kulaši, Mlječanica and Terme Laktaši.