The Minister of Welfare of Latvia, Rainis Uzulnieks, stated in an interview with the program “Nra.lv TV Sarunas” that while he holds his position, there will be no increase in the retirement age to 68 or 72 years in the country. Thus, he commented on the idea of gradually raising the retirement age being discussed in Europe.
The Minister of Welfare of Latvia, Rainis Uzulnieks, stated in an interview with the program “Nra.lv TV Sarunas” that while he holds his position, there will be no increase in the retirement age to 68 or 72 years in the country. Thus, he commented on the idea of gradually raising the retirement age being discussed in Europe.
According to the minister, Latvia remains one of the most disadvantaged countries in Europe in terms of population health, so it would be unfair to expect people to work until old age. “How can one expect full performance from a 68-year-old person with serious health problems?” he noted.
Uzulnieks also recalled the opinion of one of the creators of the Latvian pension system, Doctor of Economic Sciences Edgars Volskis, who considers the optimal retirement age to be 65 years for both men and women. The minister emphasized that Latvia has already been gradually raising the retirement age, doing so in stages.
In the opinion of the Minister of Welfare, the current retirement age is a reasonable compromise. Moreover, retirees today can benefit from a number of tax incentives, which makes the system more balanced.
The minister noted that among the elderly, there are two main groups: some continue to work out of financial necessity, while others do so because they want to remain active and feel needed. “If we can create conditions under which people work not out of necessity but by their own choice, that will be a good outcome,” Uzulnieks believes.
He also expressed hope that as the healthcare system improves, elderly residents of the country will more often choose to stay in the labor market longer.
