Many pensioners to be happy this December with higher pensions

TIRANA, Dec. 1 – Thousands of Albanian pensioners will get at least 10,000 leks per month in the urban areas and no less than 5,000 leks per month in the rural areas based on a recent decision of the governmnet. There will be 242,000 pensioners in the towns who got 8,350 – 8,740 leks per month. Their new pension will cost the government 1.8 billion leks, according to the finance minsitry. The government also decided to give a compensation of 500 leks monthly to 167,660 urban pensioners for the higher energy price. In the countryside the lowest pension increased from 3,630 leks to 4,310 leks per month. “With this decision we concluded for 2006 the package of reforms aiming at raising the level of pensions,” said finance Minister Ridvan Bode. The minister said that next July there will be another raise of 5-20 percent for the pensions.