Vucic announces measures package: pensioner payments, aid for benefit recipients and cheaper medicines
On June 29 Aleksandar Vucic presented a package of measures worth more than 600 million euros: pensioners were promised one-off payments of 35,000, 27,500 or 20,000 dinars depending on pension level, social-assistance recipients 25,000 dinars, families receiving child allowance 25,000 dinars per child, and pensioners with income up to 80,000 dinars 30,000 tourism vouchers worth 10,000 dinars each. N1 and Danas highlighted the pension package's cost, the end-September deadline and medicine co-payment cuts of 10-40%, while Kurir and Novosti framed the package as major state aid and added Vucic's claim that it would be paid without new debt.
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Vucic announces a "gift for pensioners": one-off payments of 35,000, 27,500 or 20,000 dinars
N1 writes that the pensioner-aid package, for about 1.66 million pensioners in Serbia, will cost 377.3 million euros according to Vucic. Payments were promised within 90 days: 35,000 dinars for pensioners receiving up to 31,092 dinars, 27,500 dinars for those with pensions from 31,092 to 56,851 dinars, and 20,000 dinars for all other pensioners.
Vucic: BIA will control the distribution of tourism vouchers for pensioners
In a separate article N1 reports Vucic's statement that 30,000 tourism vouchers worth 10,000 dinars each will be distributed to pensioners with pensions up to 80,000 dinars. The vouchers are supposed to go through Posta Srbije, but, according to Vucic, with BIA and police involvement to avoid voucher trading and concentration in the hands of a small number of people.
Vucic announces cheaper medicines: co-payment to be 10-40% lower
Danas reports that social-assistance recipients should receive 25,000 dinars within the next 90 days, by the end of September, while families receiving child allowance should get the same amount per child. Recipients of the veterans' allowance should also receive 25,000 dinars, and 91,259 veterans an additional 10,000. According to Vucic, the energy-vulnerable-customer decree will be extended, 30,000 tourism vouchers worth 10,000 dinars each will go to pensioners with pensions up to 80,000 dinars, and co-payments for regular medicines will be cut by 10-40%; the medicine measure is limited to one year, with the state covering part of the cost.
Aid for pensioners, vouchers, cheaper and new medicines: Vucic reveals details of the measures package
Kurir writes that Vucic announced significant wage and pension increases by the end of the year and a package worth about 600 million euros that should cover around 3 million citizens. The outlet highlights pensioner payments, 10,000-dinar vouchers, cheaper medicines and new therapies. In related pieces Kurir says there will be 30,000 vouchers for pensioners with income up to 80,000 dinars and reports the announcement of four special contracts with AstraZeneca for new medicines.
Vucic presents new measures package: lower medicine prices and up to 35,000 dinars for pensioners
Novosti carries Vucic's extended address: if GDP growth exceeds 3%, significant wage and pension increases are possible before year-end; the total package is estimated at more than 600 million euros and for more than 3 million citizens. The outlet reports 377.2 million euros for pensioners, 35,000 dinars for those with pensions up to 31,000 dinars, 27,500 dinars for pensions from 31,092 to 56,851 dinars, 20,000 dinars for other pensioners, 25,000 dinars for social-assistance recipients, the same amount for families receiving child allowance per child, and 30,000 vouchers of 10,000 dinars each. In a separate piece Novosti relays Vucic's answer to N1: he said the state has 5 billion euros in its account, the package costs 600 million euros, and no new borrowing is needed.