PSD's Dragnea: We'll not take any measure leading to the dismantling of pension pillar II

National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea announced on Monday that no action had been taken or would be taken at the level of the party leadership to lead to the nationalisation or dismantling of pension pillar II.

He publicly denied such information, pointing to an article in the Criminal Code which refers to the communication of false information [Communicating or spreading, by any means, false news or misrepresentations, or falsified information or data, knowing their false nature shall be punishable by imprisonment from one to five years if jeopardising national security].

"Such information, which is hundred percent a lie, can really destabilise Romania economically and socially and can harm national security. I do not know what Mr head forecast officer said. Governance is conducted under a programme approved in Parliament and that is made public.With regard to pension pillar II, we have taken up our objectives and supported and we are further supporting them: the first objective is that in the next period the Ministry of Labour and not only completing a rigorous, exhaustive analysis of all the existing financial data, so as to unveil to all Romanian citizens the financial information on the level of pensions that a Romanian citizen who is only contributing to pillar I and the level of pension that a citizen contributing to both the pillar I and pillar II will draw. The second objective is that the Romanian citizens, once informed, should have the possibility to choose where it is better for them to stay - only in pillar I or in pillar I and pillar II, "Dragnea said at a news conference on Monday at the end of a PSD National Standing Bureau meeting.

As a result, added Dragnea, there is no decision to dismantle or nationalise pension pillar II.

"So there is no decision in the Government, a decision adopted inside the party, a decision adopted inside the coalition, which includes the following things: 1 - there were, are not and will not be any talks held or decision taken that would lead to the dissolution of pension pillar II, as it began to be spread around on some televisions, and I am respectfully asking them to no longer spread around such misleading information. 2 - There is no decision to replace the contributions that are no paid from the social security budget to pension pillar II; so first of all it is not private money, because perhaps some people might thing it is, because they can deliberately communicate that way (...) It is about the contributions that we all pay into the public pension system that go to the national social security budget - 3.75 percent of this amount goes to the second pillar. So it pillar II is not being nationalised and this contribution, that part of 3.75 percent of the entire revenue to the income tax account (...) as I have understood that this guy from the Forecast Board has proposed, will not be replaced. There can be ideas, there can be opinions, it's their problem. The government programme was a publicly voted programme of the citizens, a program voted by Parliament as well, a programme that will be implemented. I am urging you to remain - as much as possible and as much as you are allowed - anchored in reality and in the government programme," said Dragnea. AGERPRES (RO- author: Catalina Matei, editor: Andreea Rotaru ; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)