Dushanbe, 23 October. Tajikistan's Social Insurance and Pensions Agency has said that the Asian Development Bank's proposal to raise the retirement age is a recommendation and does not change current legislation, Asia-Plus reports.
In a statement of 22 October published on Facebook, the agency stressed that the granting of pensions and the conditions for receiving them are governed by Tajik law. The agency did not say directly whether the retirement age should be raised: the statement contains neither agreement nor refusal.
A few days earlier the ADB proposed in a report that Tajikistan consider two options. The first is to raise women's retirement age gradually from 58 to 63, bringing it into line with men's. The second is to raise it to 65 for both women and men. The bank also suggested considering an increase in the minimum period of pension contributions, from 25 to 30 years for men and from 20 to 30 years for women.
One of the ADB's arguments is rising life expectancy. Tajikistan's national development strategy envisages life expectancy of 80 by 2030: 78 for men and 82 for women. Women retire five years earlier than men and live longer on average, so they pay contributions for a shorter time and draw benefits for longer, as the bank points out.
What it means: An international bank is advising Tajikistan to have people work longer so that its pension system can bear the load. So far the authorities have made only one thing clear: the bank's advice does not by itself change the law, and the decision rests with the country.
Who benefits: The pension fund would gain more contributions and pay out less if the age were raised. For workers, especially women, it would mean retiring later. The source does not give the positions of trade unions or members of parliament.
Background: Men in Tajikistan currently retire at 63 and women at 58.
List of sources used: Asia-Plus
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
