President rejects claims he damaged state finances over pensions bill

President Petr Pavel has rejected claims that he damaged state finances by delaying the signing of an amendment to the pensions law. He said he signed the bill well within the 15 day deadline afforded by the law and noted that the government should have planned its timetable for the bill better. He also criticized the cabinet for not informing the public adequately about the forthcoming changes to early retirement pensions, so that people could prepare for them.

Labour Minister Marian Jurečka said on Czech Television on Sunday that the president’s hesitation in signing into force a bill tightening the conditions for early retirement and the subsequent one-month delay in bringing it into force will cost the state treasury up to 4 billion crowns. Thousands of Czechs close to retirement age scrambled to file for early retirement over the summer under more advantageous conditions and Jurečka said their numbers could increase by another 10,000 in October.