Moscow, Feb 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Improving the quality of life of ordinary citizens throughout Russia must be a priority, Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
“That is a different Russia. That’s what we should look at with all our attention,” Putin said at a meeting with the trustees and members of the All-Russia People’s Front, his new election campaign vehicle.
“So that the level and quality of life for people wherever they live in the country could be worthy,” he added.
Putin said the authorities do not plan to raise the retirement age, but gave assurance that suitable conditions would be created for those who want to earn a higher pension by working later in life.
“We have no plans to increase the retirement age. We must create conditions for the people who want to work beyond retirement age, who want to retain a good income and create additional conditions in order to earn a large pension,” Putin said.
Social support, he said, will be more targeted and more effective.
“The overall level of pensions will also increase. We won’t allow retirees to end up below the poverty line,” he said.
“In the future, pensions should reach the conventional pan-European coefficient, the so-called replacement rate, 40 percent of the average wage,” he said.
The prime minister is one of the six candidates for the presidency, polls for which are to be held March 4. The winner will serve a six-year term.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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