Croatian Pensioners to Receive Annual Allowance

The news in Croatian

1. vlada  (f.)
   Skup ljudi koji upravlja državnom politikom i administracijom. ↩︎
2. naknada  (f.)
   Novčani iznos koji se dobiva kao kompenzacija za neku uslugu ili izgubljeno pravo. ↩︎
3. umirovljenik  (m.)
   Osoba koja je u mirovini, osoba koja više ne radi zbog starosti i navršene dobi za mirovinu. ↩︎
4. najaviti
   Priopćiti javnosti ili grupi ljudi neku važnu informaciju ili plan. ↩︎
5. prosinac  (m.)
   Dvanaesti mjesec u godini, dolazi nakon studenog. ↩︎
6. poboljšati
   Učiniti nešto boljim, unaprijediti. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What is the amount of the annual allowance that Croatian pensioners will receive?

Question 2: When will Croatian pensioners receive the allowance for the first time?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
vlada  (f.)	government
naknada  (f.)	compensation
umirovljenik  (m.)	pensioner
najaviti	announce
prosinac  (m.)	December
poboljšati	improve

Read the full story

Croatia’s government has announced the introduction of a new annual allowance for pensioners, set at six euros per year of service, as a measure to enhance the financial standing of retired citizens. This policy was unveiled by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković during his visit to Copenhagen, coinciding with the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons, and it is part of the newly proposed Pension Insurance Act.

Minister of Labour, Marin Piletić, detailed the plan at a press conference, identifying December as the month when pensioners will receive their first instalment of this permanent, one-time annual allowance. On average, this will provide an added 170 euros to each pensioner’s income, with those who worked for up to 30 or 40 years receiving 180 euros and 240 euros respectively. The broader aim is to boost the average pension from 690 euros to around 705 euros by year’s end.

The government’s scheme also includes a long-term plan to abolish taxes on pensions by 2027. This incoming policy aims to alleviate financial pressure on pensioners while significantly affecting local government budgets that partially rely on these taxes. For instance, the city of Zagreb might face a budget reduction of around 20 million euros.

Nevertheless, the initiative has sparked mixed reactions. The President of the Croatian Pensioners’ Party, Veselko Gabričević, although accepting the current proposal due to budget constraints, highlights previous expectations of a higher allowance amount.

Meanwhile, other pensioners’ groups have expressed dissatisfaction. The Croatian Pensioners’ Association, led by Višnja Fortuna, voiced disappointment with the six-euro figure, indicating it falls short of originally discussed amounts ranging from seven to eight euros. Similarly, the Pensioners’ Block (BUZ) has harshly criticized the move, calling it degrading and insufficient, while accusing the government of diverting attention with promises of tax abolition.

Despite the controversies surrounding the amount, the government’s decision is seen as a step toward acknowledging the contributions of the retired population, continuing conversations with representative groups to further improve their financial stability.

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