The annual audit report for the Federal Institute for Pension and Disability Insurance shows numerous irregularities, and one stands out in particular: the pension decision was delayed by several months, which meant a struggle for survival for the new pensioners. For the long road to retirement, the auditors recognize the causes, and the Institute offers justifications. However, pensioners are waiting longer than the law guarantees, and their pockets can handle.
Several decades of service separates workers in the Federation from retirement. And then, after the end of the service, instead of the earned pension, there is waiting and prolongation of the deadlines defined by law. Instead of 30 or a maximum of 60 days, new pensioners wait longer for their first pension. The audit report says up to five months.
“Out of a total of 293 sampled cases from two databases, the Federal Institute made 197 decisions within the deadline, while 96 decisions were made after the deadline, that is, about 32.8 percent of the sampled cases were not resolved within the prescribed deadline, which is not negligible considering that these are basic tasks under the competence of the Federal Institute”, the audit report states, among other things.
This is confirmed by our interlocutors. In that period, between the last salary and the first pension, they were left to their own devices. Completely without receiving and caring from competent institutions.
“I waited, maybe, seven months to get my pension.”
“I mean, six months into my first pension when my husband died.”
“I am retired. I waited about four months.”
Judging by the audit, the previous year’s procedures at the Institute were rather messy. Complaints also piled up. The delay and non-fulfillment of obligations, according to the auditor, is a consequence of reduced working hours. The regulations on the Institute’s work set a full-time working time of 37.5 hours per week. The Audit Office considers this unacceptable because it deviates from the Labor Law, which stipulates 40 working hours. They respond to the auditor’s remarks from the Institute with an explanation:
“The institute will make all additional efforts to ensure that there are as few delays as possible, or that there are none at all. In that part where the resolution process is influenced by other institutions or other circumstances, and on which the Institute has no influence, unfortunately, we cannot promise any changes. Working hours are fully in accordance with the law and last from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If we wanted to, we could, bypassing the legal provisions, state that from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. are eight working hours.”
Nevertheless, pensioners, as one of the most vulnerable categories of society in Bosnia and Herzegovina, deserve better treatment. Competent institutions, as well as society, do not have enough empathy for them.
“Obviously, that’s an indicator of how we generally relate to each other. Especially, what kind of relationship do we have with the people who gave their lives, their time, and their knowledge to the development of this country. He can’t see them as statistics. We cannot see them as a population category waiting to leave this world,” concludes sociologist Vladimir Vasić.
A pension that belongs to them and a dignified old age is all that retirees expect. Without long procedures and unnecessary waiting.
