The SDS parliamentary group submitted a proposal for an amendment to the Act on Pension and Disability Insurance and an amendment to the Act on School Meals in the legislative process. With the first amendment, they propose an increase in the pension base from 76.5 percent to 78 percent of the average monthly salary, and with the second, a free snack and lunch for all elementary and high school students.
In the SDS parliamentary group, when raising the pension base, they also want to address those pensioners who live below the poverty line. Therefore, they propose that the amount of the guaranteed old-age pension for 40 years of the pension period be raised to 771 euros, which is the calculated poverty risk threshold, SDS MP Karmen Furman explained at today’s press conference.
With the proposed amendment, the SDS is also advocating for the re-introduction of the state pension. According to the proposal, those Slovenian citizens who are not entitled to any other pension, have reached the age of 65 and have registered permanent residence in Slovenia for at least 30 years between the ages of 15 and 65 would be entitled to it.
According to Furman, the state pension would amount to 33 percent of the minimum pension base. “Given the costliness, the ever-faster growth of basic necessities, we believe that it is necessary to take timely action in all areas of life, and in particular, it is necessary to protect all the most vulnerable groups of the population from the worst poverty,” she emphasised.
At the same time, the SDS submitted to the legislative process a proposal for an amendment to the law on school nutrition, with which they propose that the state budget provide financial resources for free snacks and lunches for all elementary and high school students.
According to SDS member of parliament Alenka Helbl, it is an amended law that SDS submitted to the parliamentary procedure in June, but which was rejected by the National Assembly at the special session in July. At the same time, they also reject the accusation that appeared at the time, namely that the proposal is unfeasible or logistically and organisationally inappropriate, added Helbl. According to the proposal, the amendment would enter into force on January 1st, 2024.
The party hopes that the proposal will get sufficient support this time, also among the coalition parties. In the coalition agreement, the coalition partners undertook, among other things, to provide free school meals in Slovenia.
Proposals for laws on elementary school and school meals, which would provide free lunches to all elementary school students, were also prepared at the March 8th Institute. They planned to submit the bill with the collected signatures.
Furman emphasised today that SDS, as a party, has the legal basis to prepare a bill and submit it to the parliamentary procedure, which the institute cannot do. “It is obvious that we have the same purpose here, that we are concerned with the children. As members of parliament, who have this opportunity, it is right to respond, prepare the law and submit it, and in this way give a clear signal to our citizens that it is not necessary to collect signatures for our children,” she added.
By: C.R.
