The Ministry of Social Protection and Labor reported on the work for 2022

The Collegium of the Ministry of Social Protection following the results of work for 2022 was held online in the presence of the PMR Supreme Council Chairman Alexander Korshunov and the Government Chairman Alexander Rosenberg.

The Minister for Social Protection and Labor Elena Kulichenko focused in the report primarily on the fulfillment of the state's social obligations for the timely payment of pensions, benefits and other payments. The main share of expenditures in the structure of the budget of the Unified State Social Insurance Fund falls on pensions and amounts to 84.5%. Elena Kulichenko emphasized, the ministry was working in 2022 to improve the economic situation of Pridnestrovian pensioners: measures were considered and taken aimed at increasing the income of the population based on the funds of the USFSS. The result was an increase in the minimum old-age pension by 5% from February 1, 2023. Almost 95.5 thousand people in Pridnestrovie are now receiving a pension, 91.3 thousand of which are labor and 4.1 thousand are social.

The provision of benefits continued in accordance with the norms of the current legislation. The priority area for the past year was the social insurance of Pridnestrovians. 167.3 million rubles were allocated for payment for temporary disability, for pregnancy and childbirth, for the birth of children.

The Ministry of Social Protection developed and submitted 24 legislations to the Supreme Council last year. Among the social support measures adopted at the legislative level:

  – the right to monthly compensation for those who care for children with special needs and those who have been disabled since childhood;

  - 100% compensation for harm to health by the state instead of the liquidated enterprise;

  - invalids of group III from among the participants in the hostilities to protect Pridnestrovie and Afghans were given the opportunity to take preferential loans.

Rehabilitation and support for the disabled, preferential health improvement for children and adults, the necessary support is received by specialized social institutions – boarding schools, orphanages, correctional institutions were funded last year. A separate topic is assistance to orphans and those left without parental care. Almost 892 children are now in public institutions, more than a third with various diseases. 16 persons were adopted last year. Orphans and those left without parental care upon reaching the age of 18 are placed in a queue for housing. The state, according to the state program, is obliged to provide them with square meters. 39 apartments and houses were purchased at the expense of the state budget last year, according to the plan there were 42. In total, 1231 people from the category of orphans and children left without parental care are on the waiting list. The Chairman of Parliament is concerned about the situation and clarified why 3 more apartments were not purchased.

Housing for orphans, according to the norms of the state program, was not bought in the Rybnitsa district. Elena Kulichenko clarified in general that various nuances are revealed in the mechanism for implementing the state program when buying apartments.

Another reason that was voiced by representatives of the executive branch is the absence or insufficient number of apartments or houses on the market with an area of 33 square meters, which are required by the Housing Code for a single person. For example, apartments in Dubossary are mostly small. Buying housing of a smaller area, even if the orphan chose it himself, is a violation of the law. The head of the Ministry of Social Protection specified the law-in-draft, designed to change the situation, was sent to the Supreme Council. It is proposed the possibility of transferring the balance of funds at the end of the year to other areas, so that the queue moves faster. The issue will soon be discussed by parliamentarians.

Among the topics discussed in the social sphere is the employment of both young professionals and those who have lost their jobs. 974 people out of 4.5 thousand registered were employed through the Employment Centers last year for 5.5 thousand vacancies. Basically, these are working specialties, including those requiring qualifications.

They talked in the course of the Collegium about the level of wages, and about the payment of allowances and pensions, as well as about supporting citizens who arrived from Ukraine. Based on the law adopted by the Supreme Council a year ago, people arriving from Ukraine can get a job in Pridnestrovie, live in boarding houses on full state support, children can go to kindergartens and schools.

The Government Chairman Alexander Rosenberg instructed the Ministry of Social Protection and Labor to analyze the legal framework and revise existing approaches to the creation and provision of working conditions for Pridnestrovians.

According to the website of the Government of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, Alexander Rosenberg noted a number of areas that are worth paying attention to. The agency needs to change its approach to the development of state policy in general in the opinion of the Chairman of the Government. The Ministry should work to ensure that there is no need to register for unemployment, compensation payments, and so on. Alexander Rosenberg recognized in general the work of the department as satisfactory and thanked the staff of the Ministry of Social Protection for their productive work.