In Tuzla, pensioners have taken to the streets again. The lowest pension in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina paid for January was 573 marks, while the guaranteed one was 684 marks. Basic benefits have become a luxury. The federal government is silent, and they ask: How can we survive the month?
Ajša Đulović, at the age of 80, tells us that she has found it difficult to afford basic necessities. Her son and daughter-in-law died during the coronavirus epidemic, and Ajša was left alone with her grandchildren.
“I worked for 40 years. Pension 684 BAM. And I am angry first of all with the politicians, everyone. They do nothing, they just collect money. How will I live when I have grandchildren with me? How? Nobody asks. And I regularly pay for electricity and everything,” Ajša is outraged.
Inflation and price increases have particularly hit pensioners with the lowest pensions. When they receive their 573 marks at the beginning of the month, by the time they pay their utilities and buy medicine, they have almost nothing left. Dissatisfied with the work of the authorities, they decided to take to the streets again.
“The problems of pensioners are not party-related. The problems of pensioners are the irresponsibility of those in power. I have 40 years of service, a university degree, and a pension of 701 BAM. Municipal councilors receive 800 marks for nothing,” says Vehid Jahić, president of the New Pensioners’ Party.
Pensioners from Cazin also provided support to pensioners from Tuzla today, because, as they say, the problems of pensioners are the same in all parts of our country.
“All cities will join this fight, we will no longer allow someone to give us 50 marks as alms. Let them give us what we have earned, what we have paid in. We are not looking for anyone else’s, only our own,” says Refika Hadžipašić, a pensioner from Cazin.
“We said the solution is a pen. Next year is the election. There are 460,000 pensioners, we can decide in the entire country,” adds pensioner from Cazin Ramiz Karajković.
And while food prices are rising extremely, many of our fellow citizens are often more hungry than full. Pensioners live on the edge of poverty and when they pay for utilities and necessary medicines, all they are left with is thinking about how to survive and the hope that someone will visit them. Therefore, they are once again asking the Federation Government to increase their pensions and improve their status, Federalna writes.
photo: Federalna
