The "Fact" daily writes:
One of the most sensitive sectors of the Social Security System in Armenia has appeared in the process of deep stagnation in recent years when the authorities have tried to mitigate the wave of public dissatisfaction instead of different technical and superficial initiatives.
The real sizes of pensions have not been rated for years, as a result of which retirees' incomes have not been adequate not only to minimal livelihoods, but also in inflation and socio-economic changes. Under these conditions, the authorities, refusing to increase the so-called "postpaid" or "Keshbeck" system, are presented as a modern and modern version of pensions.
The essence of the postpaid system is that retirees and beneficiaries, performing their non-cash payments in certain places, mainly in supermarkets or other services, can receive a certain percentage of their expenses.
At first, the post office was 10%, as a result of which it could be earned to 5,000 drams a month, and then the threshold was raised to 12% with a maximum postpaid of 6,000 drams. And by the last decision, the government plans to make this threshold of 20% since 2026. The officials of the social spheres even emphasize that pensioners receiving 50,000 drams, such as 50,000 drams, can even raise their pensions up to 60,000.
This initiative is presented by the authorities as an effective social step, which is supposed to increase retirees to some extent without a large burden on the state budget. However, the deep analysis of this system reveals a number of structural, social and values, which not only do not solve the real needs of retirees, but also deepen social inequality and the purely demonstration of state obligations.
First of all, the postpaid system cannot replace the universal increase in pensions. Due to the lack of age, health or digital skills, a significant part of the age, health or digital skills is simply able to use banking, mobile or non-cash payment systems.
For many, following the accounts through Mobile Banking, online transactions are not only technically complex, but also causes psychological unacceptability. Especially in rural areas, where ATMs or payment terminals are few, and digital literacy, retirees are cashing their pensions and shopping mainly from markets, small stores or neighboring sales.
Another important issue is that even retirees that can use non-cash payments often do not see its real benefit. In the market conditions of Armenia, the main consumer goods and services are more expensive in supermarkets, where the postpaid system is operated, while the goods purchased from the market or street trade are cheaper.
Many retirees who try to end the edge, prefer to save every penny and shop where it is more affordable, not where you can get a certain percentage. That is, have to shop in cash.
We also mean that only a small part of the amount received by retirees is provided to loans, communalities and other obligations, which is not actually increasing the revenues of all pensioners, but only those who are able to use the system, which often does not exceed 2-3 thousand. The dram.
Thus, the authorities are able to formally represent that retirees receive an additional income, but in reality public expenditures are not limited, and general social justice is not provided, when the structure of budget expenditures is analyzed. High-ranking officials' salaries, bonuses, business trip expenses, as well as other public administration, have increased significantly, without cache restrictions or savings, while additional technical and process obstacles are created for pensioners.
The postpaid system is often justified to combat the shadow economy, the generation of tax generation and non-cash payments. But here the justifications of the authorities are questioned here. It is almost impossible to imagine that the extremely low-income retirees can make such a volume shopping that it will significantly affect the volume of shadow turnover.
Moreover, the shadow economy is based mainly by the unregistered circulating in large trading, construction, production sectors, and the non-cash purchases of retirees in retailers can only affect the accounting of small shops. In areas where the shadow economy is actually flourishing, the government does not only tighten control, but in some cases it turns a blind eye to the unregistered income of large players.
In the background of all this, the pension postpaid system became a manipulated social policy, which tried to create the illusion of retirement reforms in the public, but actually avoids providing a decent pension from their primary obligations.
Today, thousands of retirees have to be satisfied with the minimum, often deprived of the opportunity to pay the minimum product basket, paid medicine, utilities or medical care. It turns out that for them 3000-3500Drams, the "raised" pension is not only insignificant compared to inflation and real needs, but often due to systemic complications and social injustice.
Instead, Pashinyan decided to raise the salaries of officials at the expense of retirees. He said that the decision to review the salary of the state apparatus has already been made, but they do not speak, because they are afraid that "97% of Armenia's active community will direct all the curses they know to the government." What fear is ...
Arthur Karapetyan
