Turkey raises lowest pension by 66 percent

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the 2022 pay raises for public employees and retirees after a cabinet meeting late yesterday (January 3).

Accordingly, salaries of public employees will increase by 30.5 percent and the lowest retirement pension will increase by about 66 percent, from 1,500 lira to 2,500 lira (1 US dollar = 13.25 Turkish lira).

There are about 1.26 million people who get the lowest pension in the country, Erdoğan noted. Meanwhile, pensions for most other retirees will increase by about 25 to 30 percent.

With the pay rises, the lowest public servant salary will be 6,429 lira and the lowest pension for a retired public servant will be 4,289 lira.

In mid-December, the government also raised the minimum wage to 4,250 lira, up by nearly 50 percent from last year.

Note: Last year's inflation rate was 36.08 percent, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced yesterday. However, according to the Inflation Research Group (ENAG), an independent group of economists, the annual inflation rate was as high as 82.81 percent.

"Our inflation rate for 2021 was announced as 36 percent. We are saddened that our citizens have faced such a picture for whatever reason," Erdoğan said. "It was us who had brought down the inflation to the lowest rates. We are determined to bring it back to single digits as soon as possible."

"We know that global commodity prices and the volatility in the foreign exchange rates have an effect on the inflation rate being so high," he added.

Heating assistance

Along with coal aids, the government will also subsidise natural gas sales for low-income households this year, the president announced. The government announced a 25 percent increase in natural gas prices at the start of the year.

The president also announced incentives for businesses to employ university and vocational high school graduates.

"We are providing 100,000 lira support for businesses that maintain the number of employees in the last months and guarantee to employ vocational high school or university graduates for at least 12 months. This figure reaches 110 thousand liras in women's employment," he remarked.

"This assistance, which will be implemented for micro businesses and small businesses, will be paid back two years later in 24 months without any interest.

"Our purpose with this program is to include 75,000 vocational high school and university graduates in employment."

Reactions

The Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK) Co-Chair said the salary increases were "ridiculous."

"The real inflation is 82.81 percent, the poverty line is 13,100 lira and the 'misery raise' deemed suitable is 30.5 percent," he wrote on Twitter.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chair Veli Ağbaba said the lowest pension should be equal to the minimum wage.

"With these figures, Erdoğan tells millions of retirees to starve," he wrote on Twitter. (TP/VK)