Aleksey Kudrin, who made the relevant statement the day before at the Leaders of Russia all-Russian competition of managers, is voicing the idea of raising the retirement age in the country not for the first time. However, his current statement is out of the ordinary. Firstly, it was made in a very categorical form, secondly, Kudrin, as you know, is a figure close to the head of state and writes the country's economic strategy for him, and thirdly, the idea was voiced shortly before the presidential elections, when, as is believed , the electorate is better not to anger. A highly experienced official and a long-term colleague of the president, Alexei Kudrin, of course, knows perfectly well when and what statements can be made and which cannot. That is why many experts thought that since Kudrin was not afraid to voice this idea in the midst of the presidential campaign, it means that it has already, in fact, been approved at the very top, and, most likely, after the elections it will be implemented in one form or another.
In fairness, we note that justifying his confidence in the coming rise in the retirement age, Kudrin did not resort to political arguments, but used exclusively economic and demographic ones. In particular, he noted that, according to the standards of the International Labor Organization, the state must provide at least 40% of the pension value relative to the pensioner's previous earnings, and, taking into account voluntary and funded programs, up to 70%. And this level is actually provided in developed countries - such as Great Britain, Germany, Italy. “So, we must also plan this program. Let it be in 10-15-20 years, but we must reach these parameters. Including raising the retirement age, we cannot do without it,” the ex-minister said.
Alexei Kudrin explained that at the present time in Russia the pension is a little more than a third of wages, and at present this ratio is beginning to decline. “That is, a person retiring immediately goes to a third of the content of what he had when he worked,” said the head of the CSR. He also connected the problem of raising pensions with the solution of the task now facing the country's leadership - increasing life expectancy in Russia to the level of developed countries.
Experts, commenting on Kudrin's statement, draw attention to the fact that it is based on fundamental financial problems: the federal budget remains in deficit, as well as the budget of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, there is no money in the treasury to plug pension gaps, the able-bodied population is not able to support the disabled, pension system in a severe crisis. Another thing is that not everyone agrees that the only way out of the situation is to raise the retirement age.
“I, as the head of the Duma committee, have a negative attitude towards raising the retirement age,” said the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy Yaroslav Nilov. The deputy motivated his position by the fact that in many Russian regions there is a negative population growth, “this is especially true for those regions where ethnic Russians live, where men do not even live up to retirement age.”
According to Nilov, more and more citizens who have reached retirement age cannot claim to exercise pension rights because they do not have enough work experience, do not have enough points, and they cannot receive an insurance pension. “They are forced to either continue working, or wait another five years to receive a social pension, or buy more points. This is nonsense, but today such pension legislation, ”says the head of the Duma committee.
Leading Research Fellow, Institute of Sociology RAS Leonty Byzov I am sure that after the presidential elections are held, "the reform of raising the retirement age will be gradually implemented - year after year." At the same time, the sociologist is convinced that for the majority of working Russians, raising the retirement age will be extremely painful.
“Now many prerequisites for raising the retirement age have already been created - the payments of some pensioners have ceased to be indexed, everything is being done to ensure that people retire later. Some potential pensioners - about 20% - have already resigned themselves to the inevitability, the rest are not ready. A huge problem is that it is not easy for people of retirement and pre-retirement age to get a job. That is, we are raising the age, but we do not give guarantees, ”concludes the interlocutor of MK.
Moscow, February 7 - Vesti.Ekonomika. Former Minister of Finance, head of the Council of the Center for Strategic Research Alexei Kudrin announced the inevitability of raising the retirement age in Russia. He conveyed his proposals to the President of the Russian Federation.
Alexey Kudrin. Photo: EPA VALERY SHARIFULIN TASS
"The International Labor Organization believes that the state should provide at least 40% (the amount of pension relative to the pensioner's previous earnings), and taking into account voluntary and funded programs, this should be up to 70%. This is provided in different countries, such as Great Britain, Germany, Italy. This means that we must also outline this program. Let it be in 10-15-20 years, but we must reach these parameters. Including raising the retirement age, we cannot do without it," Kudrin said today (quoted by Interfax ").
In an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel, Alexei Kudrin noted that raising the retirement age would increase pensions by a third.
"The main goal is to make the pension worthy. According to our plan (CSR - editor's note), we would like the pension to become 30% more than today, that is, a third, within six years," Kudrin said.
Now the pension does not exceed a third of the wages of future pensioners.
"But these resources are difficult to collect. That is why a number of reforms are needed, including raising the retirement age: it is better to work two or three years more, but then have a higher pension," he stressed.
Many of the pensioners say they would agree to this, Kudrin assured.
He himself is ready to work at the age of 65 and beyond: “Those who work in science or in expert activities work continuously, do not interrupt their labor activity either at 65 or later. For me, probably, retirement age there will be more."
"The most important development priorities are education, health care - the preservation of the population, and the ability to work, and the extension of life, above all a healthy life, and transport infrastructure," Kudrin listed the main provisions of the CSR program.
"These are the three pillars of budgetary and state policy - how to redistribute funds. We calculated on the models how much it gives. This maneuver gives 1% of GDP compared to all other programs and institutions over five to six years," Kudrin said. "These are structural reforms, it must be done."
These proposals have been handed over to the President of the Russian Federation, Kudrin noted.
But raising the retirement age is impossible without increasing life expectancy, which is associated with improving the quality of treatment and prevention - the detection of diseases at an early stage.
"Active life and healthy life are increasing, and today we are setting the task so that, for example, in the next six years from about 72 years of life expectancy to go to 76-78, and a little further in six years it should be 80 - this is the level of developed countries ", - said Kudrin.
"The average (life expectancy for men - ed.) is low. If we look at the life expectancy of those who have reached retirement age, it is really a little lower than for women, but it is also somewhere around 15 years or more. That's why not quite correctly focus on the overall average life expectancy for men when determining the retirement age," Kudrin explained.
The retirement age of women should be the same as that of men, or slightly less.
“In this regard, I think that today we are more likely to mature so that we have either the same level of retirement age for men and women. This is one version, in many countries this is so, because women live longer. Or so far, due to our traditions, in Russia, men should be a little more, say, 64-65 years old, and women - 62-63 years old," the ex-minister of finance believes.
Today, former Finance Minister A. Kudrin announced the inevitable increase in the retirement age in our country. They say that this is the only way to increase funding for education and healthcare. Moreover, according to him, this "bright path" has already been passed by the so-called developed countries of the world, which has led to an increase in the quality of life of all sectors of society there.
The head of the Center for Strategic Research (CSR), in particular, said that "the international labor organization believes that the state should provide at least 40% of the pension value relative to the pensioner's previous earnings, and taking into account voluntary and funded programs, this should be up to 70%. This is ensured in different countries, such as Great Britain, Germany, Italy. This means that we must also outline this program. Let it be in 10-15-20 years, but we must reach these parameters. Including raising the retirement age, without this not enough".
Kudrin's cynicism knows no bounds! His provocative thoughts gush forth like from a cornucopia. The ex-minister consciously, cynically opposes state pension provision to other socially important areas. The provocateur Kudrin believes that "the most important development priorities are education, healthcare - preserving the population, and working capacity, and extending life, above all, healthy life, and transport infrastructure. These are the three pillars of budget and state policy - how to redistribute funds. We calculated on the models how much it gives. This maneuver yields 1% of GDP compared to all other programs and institutions within five to six years."
This, in turn, means, according to the logic of Russia's chief cynic, that "it is necessary somewhere to remove a little, from some programs, raising the retirement age also partially solves this problem." According to him, the relevant proposals have already been submitted to the government.
Why do I say that Alexei Leonidovich is lying? The answer has several important components.
First, raising the age will not lead to a serious reduction in the budget deficit of the Pension Fund of Russia. Now the "hole" in the PFR is being closed by direct transfers from the federal budget. And this trend will continue in the coming years. The reason is not only that, according to Kudrin's logic, there are many pensioners in Russia, but that "there are many beneficiaries." Early pensions are the reason for the growing deficit. The privileged group includes miners, northerners, teachers, etc. This will be the second stage of Kudrin's provocations, when his associates and students in the Cabinet will begin to reduce beneficiaries, but this will be after Kudrin and Co. implement the concept of raising the retirement age in the country.
Secondly, the ex-minister of finance is well aware that about 40% of the male population of the country does not live up to a well-deserved pension. Simply "saved" money remains with the state. If we raise the retirement age, then the "excess" money supply will increase sharply, because with the level of health care that we now have, one cannot dream of any increase in life expectancy.
Third point. In recent years, five (!) so-called "pension reforms" have been implemented in Russia - from the funded component to the points system. None of the reforms were successful! Savings (trillions of rubles that employers transferred for their hired workers) were safely "frozen" (actually expropriated and spent), and the lack of the required number of points has already allowed the PFR to refuse to provide old people with a social pension and transfer them to insurance, which is a multiple lower than the first. Not a single official or deputy can say how much a "pension point" will cost in 5-10-15-20 years. The point scam is the crowning achievement of the absolutely illogical social policy of the government.
Fourthly, there is no institutional basis for long-term pension investment in the country. Citizens of working age who would like to independently form their pension savings are deprived of investment tools. The domestic economy is captured by monopolies and oligopolies. Placing funds on bank deposits is a dangerous game with the Central Bank, which at any moment can bring down any credit and savings institution. Investing in stocks, bonds, derivatives of the stock market is a fantastic task for the majority of Russian inhabitants. Investing in real estate? After the introduction of real estate tax, according to the market cadastral value, these investments have lost their meaning. This list can be continued indefinitely, but the fact remains that there is no institutional investment in the country. The Kudrins, Ulyukaevs, Nabiullins, Oreshkins did everything to prevent the country from having the most important long-term money that forms the markets for non-state pensions and insurance.
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Kudrin and Co. "clung to the throat" not of the current pensioners, they are trying with a stranglehold to twist working Russian citizens who, by virtue of their socio-economic policy, survive and earn a "piece of bread" for a living. They have neither the time nor the strength to think about the issue of financial security for their future old age. This is used by provocateurs who drive it into our heads that raising the retirement age is inevitable.
It's a lie! Like all the mantras of "economic gurus", which are aimed at one thing - to tear off three skins from the citizens of the country, hiding behind the "hand of the almighty market." Only their market has great specifics: losses and expenses - for the state (taxpayers), and profits and "free liquidity" - for their own pockets and purses.
Is there an alternative to Kudrin's initiatives? Yes, and it is painfully banal - to develop our own national economy, industrial production, launch large infrastructure projects, create institutional tools that would allow Russian families to save and improve their well-being.
Chairman of the Accounts Chamber Alexey Kudrin stated that the standard of living of pensioners after 2011 stagnated and now Russia has come to the point where a new look at the pension system is needed. Conduct pension reform needed 10 years ago, he reported on .
“I am at the age when my peers are already pensioners,” Kudrin began his speech. He noted that now pensions are low and a person who retires is shocked when he loses a third of his salary. According to the chairman of the Accounts Chamber, since the beginning of the 2000s, pensions have increased several times, the standard of living of pensioners has improved, but after 2011 this improvement stopped and even began to decline.
"We won't be able to look pensioners in the eye if we don't raise the retirement age," Kudrin said, adding that now the president and government are proposing a new model of life for the elderly. This scenario will result in a real pension increase of 10% by 2024. However, such a task is needed to increase pensions by a quarter and even by a third. In the long term - to reach the indicator that the pension was from 60% to 70% of the salary.
Another argument in favor of raising the retirement age, according to Kudrin, is that 65% of those who have retired are still working in Russia. This is a very high figure, which is not found in any country, the chairman of the joint venture pointed out.
At the end of the speech Viacheslav Volodin asked Kudrin a question: “Could the government have taken a different path?” The Chairman of the Accounts Chamber said that, in his opinion, perhaps it was necessary to make the pace of raising the retirement age softer, to increase the transition period so that everyone could prepare. “But it should have been done 10 years ago!” Kudrin concluded. Today, this must be done without fail, because raising the retirement age is more fair than not indexing pensions for workers, he said.
Previously, the main reason for the need to increase the retirement age, the head of the CSR called the deficit of the Pension Fund of Russia. Now the lack of funding for education and health care has come to the fore.
Aleksey Kudrin, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Strategic Research, is convinced that raising the retirement age in Russia is inevitable and justified in order to ensure a decent pension.
"The International Labor Organization believes that the state should provide at least 40% of earnings, and taking into account voluntary and funded programs, this should be up to 70%. This is in different countries, such as Great Britain, Germany, Italy. So, we must this "We can also outline a program. Let it be in 10-20 years, but we must reach these parameters. Including raising the retirement age, we can't do without it," Kudrin said on Wednesday at the finals of the All-Russian competition of managers "Leaders of Russia" , which opened in Sochi.
The head of the CSR noted that the three pillars of budgetary and state policy are education, healthcare, and transport infrastructure, the financing of which must be provided by fiscal maneuver.
"These are the three pillars of budgetary and state policy - how to redistribute funds. We calculated on the models how much it gives. This maneuver gives 1% of GDP compared to all other programs over five to six years," Kudrin said.
To secure funding for the whales, he said, it would be worth taking some funding away from other areas of government spending, such as lowering public administration spending. Raising the retirement age also helps to solve this problem.
Alexei Kudrin's statement about the need to raise the retirement age is not unexpected. It repeats once every one or two months. But when on November 15, 2017, in an interview with Arguments and Facts, he spoke about raising the retirement age, he simply pointed out that there were no resources left for paying pensions.
Then, he said that he was not quite correctly understood (ed. - he correctly said, he was not quite correctly understood), but the next day the Pension Fund of Russia even officially denied his words about the lack of resources.
When Kudrin talks about a maneuver, he refers to his fundamental (link - editorial opinion) "Budget maneuver and structural restructuring of the Russian economy", which proposes to revise the structure of government spending and direct oil and gas windfall profits into useful government spending (the same three pillars).
Then he proposed to reduce officials. And then his proposal was supplemented on January 18, 2018 with the idea of creating a “smart government”, which relies on information technology. The measures were supposed to lead to a reduction in spending on the state apparatus (link - editorial opinion).
Two decades have passed since the last modification. Apparently, the budget maneuver model was revised slightly again if it was considered that previous proposals could not provide sufficient funding. If Kudrin previously considered pensions as a separate category with its own provision, now it has been integrated into the overall strategy.
In fact, pensioners have been asked to postpone retirement, not only to ensure their future increase, but so that they help the able-bodied get an education and improve their health. In general, it's ok. Pensioners have been helping young people since Soviet times. True, then they helped with part of the pension, and now they will help with natural daily labor.
There is concern that soon the CSR will additionally rethink the proposal of scientists on
