site.btaPM Gurov: 1.6 Mln Pensions to Get Easter Supplements

Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov said here on Wednesday that 1.6 million pensioners will receive Easter supplements.

The lump-sum amount will be either EUR 20 or EUR 50, varying by the size of the pension received.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy said on Monday that a EUR 50 supplement will apply to recipients of a monthly pension not exceeding EUR 390.63 (equivalent to the current poverty line), whereas recipients of a pension not exceeding EUR 620.20 (equivalent to the minimum wage) will get a EUR 20 supplement. This year the Orthodox Easter falls on April 12.

Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting, Gurov said that since their first day in office, the Finance Minister and the Social Policy Minister have been making efforts to prevent the care of the socially disadvantaged to turn into a vote buying tool. "A fortnight ago, the caretaker Cabinet assumed a responsibility at a difficult moment and set itself a clear priority: elections by the rules," the PM said.

In his words, the Easter supplements are not a political gesture and politicians should not turn it into one. "Care of the most vulnerable people is above all a matter of statehood and humaneness," Gurov argued.