Romania’s labour minister says pensions would increase from January 1

Labour minister Marius Budai confirmed that the public pensions in Romania will increase from January 1, 2023. He did not give a figure but said that the hike would take into account the inflation rate.

"We will know the inflation rate for 2022 only at the end of the first quarter of 2023, and that's why in law 263, the pension law, it is said that the inflation rate for 2021 will be used, which was much lower than now. I don't want to go into the numbers because we won't be doing that. We will not go for a smaller increase," he said at local news channel Antena 3, according to G4media.ro.

"We'll do many simulations to find the best way to do this, and there will certainly be an increase in pensions, as Marcel Ciolacu [the Social Democrat leader] said, from January 1," he added.

In related news, Marius Budai announced on Friday, August 26, that the Government adopted the ordinance on increasing the salaries of state employees starting with August. According to him, approximately one million people will benefit from this increase, which amounts to about RON 150 per employee, Digi24 reported.

Employees in the medical system, who have already reached the salary level foreseen for 2022, and those in ministries who are in the same situation have not been included in the ordinance.

According to data quoted by Digi24, Romania has around 1.2 million state employees. Their number increased in recent years in key areas such as justice, tourism or labour, as well as in the health system.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Ilona Andrei)