Predvidena reforma pokojninskega in invalidskega zavarovanja

slovenian

2024

volume 50, issue 6/7

Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

In July 2024, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities presented to its social partners the long awaited Starting Points for Changes to the Pension and Disability Insurance Scheme in Slovenia. At the end of April 2024, after nearly a year, the starting points for a pension reform were also adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, thereby giving a green light for the start of negotiations with social partners and a public debate about this important field. We are now in a period when the economy is in good shape and, as a consequence, so are the pension coffers; so this is the best time to prepare changes, or reform, of the compulsory pension and disability insurance scheme. It is true that the reform process was expected to go ahead at a somewhat faster pace, but the first announcements by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities in July 2023 that substantial changes would not come into effect until 2028 and that the number of the required pension qualifying years would remain at 40, already made it clear that there was no need for undue haste in adopting the pension and disability insurance scheme reform. The forecast timetable for the adoption of what we may now call the ZPIZ-3 was deferred as well. Looking back at these past few years, in the light of the continuous amendments to ZPIZ-2 (by now we have reached ZPIZ-2N), there obviously was neither the desire nor the need for any rush. The issue of timing was raised only in relation to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, into which the pension reform had been included in 2021 and according to which Slovenia has to meet two criteria: the adequacy of pensions and the sustainability of the scheme, in order to be able to draw the funds. Obviously, expectations are now that the negotiations with the social partners will finally start in the autumn. It is expected that there will be sufficient time for discussion, as it is very important that neither side in the social dialogue nor in the public debate will feel that there has been inadequate time to present all the relevant positions on the reform of such an important field as pension and disability insurance. It is also very important to note that the pension system has been, and must continue to be, based on insurance coverage; therefore, the assessment of rights must be carried out primarily, or to the greatest extent possible, by taking into account the periods of insurance coverage as well as the previous payment and the level of contributions.

08.12.2025