Romanian Lower Chamber Committee For Labor Sets Pension Point To 45% Of Gross Average Wage

The report was adopted with 12 votes in favor and eight abstentions. The Social Democratic Party and Liberal Party, in opposition, both stated their support for the bill as long as the pension point is 45%. Social democrat deputy Mircea Dusa warned the democrat liberal members of the committee that, unless the amendment passes, debates could carry on for as long as one month.

Labor Minister Ioan Botis, who attended the discussions, said the Democratic Liberal Party will abstain in the final vote on the report as drafted. He also said the 45% point will increase the budget deficit from 10 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2478) in 2010 to RON21.5 billion in 2011.

The committee rejected the amendments brought by the Labor Ministry to the pension bill which concerned the implementation of Ordinance 58 on income from copyright, and adopted one fixing the retirement age at 63 for women and 65 for men.

The pension bill might be debated by the Chamber of Deputy plenum as of Wednesday.