The right to a pension in the Republic of Moldova is granted exclusively on the basis of the principle of contributivity, regardless of the region in which the person resides, stated the general director of the National House of Social Insurance, Elena Țîbîrnă, during a broadcast on Moldova 1.
The head of CNAS stated that, currently, approximately 1,166 people from the left bank of the Dniester are receiving old-age pensions paid by the Republic of Moldova, based on the contributions previously paid into the social insurance budget.
“You’ve paid contributions, you’ve received a pension. The principle is the same no matter where the person lives in the north, south, left or right of the Dniester”, stated Elena Țîbîrnă.
According to this, the number of people in the Transnistrian region who have reached retirement age is much higher, reports bani.md. Data from the Population State Register shows that there are approximately 35,000 men over the age of 63 and about 53,600 women who have reached or will soon reach retirement age on the left bank of the Dniester.
The head of CNAS clarified, however, that simply reaching retirement age does not guarantee the right to a pension. Individuals who have not contributed to the public social insurance system of the Republic of Moldova cannot benefit from these provisions.
The same rules apply to social benefits as well. The one-time birth allowance and the monthly allowance of 1,000 lei for children are also granted to mothers from the left bank of the Dniester, if they register their children in the official registers of the Republic of Moldova. On the other hand, maternity benefits or those for child care up to 3 years old are only granted to individuals who have contributed to the social insurance system.
Elena Țîbîrnă commented on the situation of patent holders operating in the markets of the Republic of Moldova. According to her, retirees and people with disabilities who are already receiving pensions are not required to pay additional social contributions based on the patent.
When asked about the impact of a potential reintegration of the country on the public pension system, the director of CNAS acknowledged that the pressure on the social system could become very high, given that tens of thousands of people from the Transnistrian region could apply for various social benefits and pensions.