BISHKEK (24.kg news agency) – More than a half of the retirees, or about 230,000 people in Kyrgyzstan, get pensions, which are below the minimum subsistence level, Sulaiman Berdikeev, representative of the NGO Result said today at a press conference.

According to Berdikeev, the minimum subsistence level in 2012 amounted to 4,300 soms. Therewith, the amount of pensions varies from 1 to 100 thousand soms. “The analysis showed that the country will require 3-4 bln soms to bring low pensions to the minimum subsistence rate. About 2 bln soms have been spent on pensions’ increase in 2012. As a result, those who got a pension of 2,300 soms, received an allowance of 150 soms, and for others whose pension was more than 20,000 the allowance made up 1,500 soms,” Sulaiman Berdikeev said.

He added that, according to article 53 of the Constitution, the state should provide citizens with pensions above the minimum subsistence level according to the economic capacity of the republic. “For three years, the national budget has increased 2 times and the Social Fund’s budget – several times. Where are the criteria for estimation of economic opportunities? Or, we should exclude this provision. We want the state to execute its obligations,” Sulaiman Berdikeev said.

His colleague Bakytbek Satybekov added that there are no pensions below the minimum subsistence rate in Kazakhstan and Russia.

As in 2012 the Kyrgyz republic had more than 400,000 retired pensioners.