In statements before the meeting he had with pensioners in the Dromolaxia settlement, Mr Stefanou said that "the various economic and social issues that exist in society at large are even more acute in the settlement and even more so in a period of austerity and at a time when households face very intense pressure to make ends meet". Various issues which AKEL constantly puts at the forefront are again highlighted in the debate," he said.
He said that one of the issues is "the issue of low pensions and the 12% penalty for early pensions. There are people who do not choose to take early retirement but are obliged to take early retirement and we are also penalising them with the 12 per cent so that the already low pension becomes even lower and at such times, the issue becomes particularly topical."
Stefanou reiterated AKEL's position "to end the 12% penalty for early pensions and once this issue of principle has been resolved, the discussion that needs to be held in relation to the pension and the Social Insurance Fund, on how to improve the contributiveness and efficiency of the Fund with a number of things that need to be done. But, he noted, "we have to start with the basic one, which is ending the 12% penalty."
He also said that the debate "revolves around accuracy and the measures that should have already been taken by the government to relieve households and small and medium-sized enterprises." He referred to the decisions of the Parliament on the initiative of AKEL, adding that "unfortunately, the government refuses to respond to the demand of society and small and medium-sized enterprises to adopt these measures so that there can be necessary relief from precision."
AKEL, the party's General Secretary continued, "has also raised a number of issues concerning excess profits and windfall profits, as they are called in Europe, which are enough and should be taxed in order to strengthen state funds so that this fund can help society in a targeted way. While AKEL took this initiative and has already submitted two law proposals to Parliament, we see the government passively watching."
The most important thing in this situation, he said, "is to have what we call social sensitivity, sensitivity to people's problems. This government ten years in power has convinced us that it has no such sensitivity, but on the contrary, it constantly looks after the privileged few and leaves the many who need state support on the sidelines."
We do not expect, Stefanos Stefanou continued, "any longer from this government to do anything. The most important thing is for the citizens to do something, to vote correctly in the presidential elections to change this government, to end the alarming governance and to put at the helm of the country a man with social sensitivities but also with specific policies that will help society and that is Andreas Mavroyiannis."
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