Hatzidakis: The fellow dignitaries are happy with the increases – They recognize the positive measures by the government

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Kostis Hatzidakis, visited the 1st KAPI Galatsi where he discussed with the pensioners about the increases that the pensioners receive from yesterday.

His post in detail:

Horizontal increases began to be paid to pensioners yesterday, after 12 years. So I went to A’ KAPI Galatsi, to discuss with the interested parties themselves. All the more so that some media are treating the increases as something of a disaster, due to the fact that there are quite a few retirees with the so-called “personal difference” who will not see real increases in their pockets, but will only “gnaw” on this “difference”.

So the pensioners were happy. I’m not saying they think all their problems have been solved. However, they recognize that the current government, from 2019 onwards, has only taken positive measures for them. First with the corrections made by the Vroutsis law to the basic injustices of the Katrougalos law (pensioners with more than 30 years of insurance, working pensioners, abolition of the ceiling on the main and auxiliary pensions, etc.) and with the reduction of the import tax rate from 22 % to 9%. They remember them because a large number fall into those categories I have just described. They also understand that Greece cannot suddenly become Switzerland or Sweden in its economy and insurance system. And that is why they recognize that the 4 different increases that were given now and last December (7.75% horizontal increase, 250 euro emergency aid for low pensioners, cancellation of the emergency solidarity contribution and 4th installment of recalculation) were obviously particularly useful to them. Because these increases work in combination, 1 in 2 pensioners will now find that at the end of the year they will have received at least one additional pension! And of the 910,000 pensioners who still have a large personal difference, 83% saw smaller or larger increases: 515,480 through the abolition of the special solidarity contribution and 259,092 through the special aid of 250 euros (if we also include Easter ’22 it is 500 euros) . And of course they will also see a significant reduction in their personal difference.

I recognize that there is 17% of all those who have a personal difference, that is 5.5% of all pensioners, who will not have any form of increase. After all, we had clearly talked about this for some months. Will there be any solution for them? The Prime Minister clarified, speaking to journalists, that it would be premature to position ourselves, as we still do not know if the so-called fiscal space exists. But the truth is that the pressure, due to the international energy crisis and high inflation, is significant for many of our fellow citizens. So at the end of February, once we have all the necessary data in mind, we will be able to position ourselves without, at the same time, ignoring the possibilities of the economy and the budget.

Regarding the pensioners, however, we feel that we have done enough. Not only through the initiatives I noted above, but also through: the support there has been for electricity, gas and fuel bills. The shopping card for the supermarket. The abolition of the taxation of parental benefits. The real estate tax reduction by 35%. The reduction of ENFIA by 35% in total. And of course with the definitive solution we gave to the shame of the pending main pensions. 510,000 pensions were issued in 2 years, while pensions for new applications are issued in 60 days, faster than in Germany and France. It’s not a little in a four-year period. Especially when Greece is coming out of a ten-year crisis and at the same time has to face two imported crises, the coronavirus and the energy crisis. In front of us is Mr. Tsipras, who, repeating himself from Thessaloniki in 2014, is telling the pensioners what he told them back then. Except he did the exact opposite. Mr. Tsipras honors the morals and customs of SYRIZA! We, on the other hand, know that only with responsibility and seriousness can one face major social issues. This is what we did in the last four years, this is what we will seek to do in the new four years, with a new strong mandate from the Greek citizens.

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