“SYRIZA shows … great realism, proposing today to give a pension to the expatriates from Albania and the former Soviet Union with 15 years of residence. He could have gone further and he did not. To propose, for example, a pension with 5 years of residence and 1 year of insurance! You really restrained yourself! I point out once again that you are the same party that while today you propose a national pension with 15 years of residence, in 2016 you yourself decided that this should be done with 40 years of residence. Today on this issue you are apologizing. “You must explain to our expatriates why you brought this unacceptable regulation, which we are correcting, implementing the commitment of the prime minister.” This was stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Kostis Hatzidakis today, during the debate in the Plenary Session of the Parliament of the multi-bill of the Ministry of Interior which includes -among other things- the regulation for the national pension of expatriates.
As he explained, “the government is amending the regulation of the ‘Katrugal law’, which made it mandatory for expatriates from Albania and the former Soviet Union to live in Greece for 40 years, a condition that could not be met after the borders were opened. after 1990. In this context, a provision is promoted which facilitates the granting of a full national pension to these expatriates, in a way that removes the injustice of the previous regulation that was established in 2016 under SYRIZA. More specifically, with the proposed provision from January 1, 2022, 30 instead of 40 years of residence will be required for expatriates from Albania and the former Soviet Union to receive a full national pension. At the same time, the national pension they receive will be adjusted upwards. Until now, it was calculated in relation to how many years of residence were less than 40 years, while from now on it will be calculated based on 30 years. For example, if an expatriate at the time of retirement had 20 years in Greece, he would receive 50% of the national pension. From now on he will receive 2/3. Respectively, if someone had 30 years of residence, with the “Katrougalos law” he would receive 3/4 of the national pension, while with our regulation he will receive it in full. “This is the difference and the expatriates understand it, as well as they understand the political hypocrisy of the official opposition”, stressed the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
Mr. Hatzidakis announced in advance also from her step Parliament the granting an uninsured elderly allowance to expatriates in the immediate future. “It is our commitment and we will move forward,” he stressed.
Finally referring to her subject insurance capacity (access to medical care) of freelancers, Mr. Hatzidakis explained that “Last year due to coronavirus we extended insurance capacity to all. This can not continue, as we must gradually return to normalcy. We brought an arrangement that covers over 8 million insured. However, because there was not enough time for the self-employed to repay their debts to EFKA and in order not to create problems, we submitted a regulation that provides that the unpaid insured of the Agency receive exceptional insurance capacity from March 1, 2022 to 31 May 2022, regardless of debts to EFKA and fulfillment of conditions by them. But they have to see what they will do with their debts in the meantime, to settle them as was the case in previous years. At the same time, with another simplified regulation, the insurance capacity of the self-employed is extended until 28 February 2023, provided that they have either paid within 2021, or to pay within the current year to EFKA an amount corresponding to the annual contribution for benefits in type and money, according to the insurance category they had chosen for 2021.
“In other words, we do not ask from the specifics insured to repay all their debts, but to pay the contributions of 2021. This is a fair arrangement that balances between the need to take a measure that takes into account the special circumstances created by the pandemic crisis, normalcy, as is the case in all European countries “, concluded the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
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