MINSK, 16 March (BelTA) – Raising the retirement age is a painful yet necessary measure, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Belarus Yergali Bulegenov told reporters on 16 March, BelTA has learned.
The Ambassador noted that some time ago Kazakhstan recognized the need to raise the retirement age. “This is a painful yet necessary measure,” said Yergali Bulegenov. He stressed that objective reasons make Belarus and Kazakhstan carry out such reforms.
The retirement age has been increased in Kazakhstan drawing on international experience. Now Kazakh men retire at 63 and women at 58. A few years ago the country had to revisit the issue because, like in Belarus, the number of pensioners is increasing while the number of able-boded citizens is decreasing, the Ambassador explained. Given these factors, Kazakhstan will be increasing the retirement age for women to 63 years in increments of six months starting from 2018.
Yergali Bulegenov pointed out that the increase in the retirement age in Kazakhstan caused controversy in the society. The reaction was due to the lack of a proper awareness campaign, the Ambassador said.
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