In the Association of Pensioners, the members stated that there are certain anomalies in the legal sphere and they believe that it is necessary to propose a complete systemic solution that would improve the work of the Association of Pensioners.

- Our criticism of the work of the Union of Pensioners refers to the need for greater transparency, regular openness to members and housekeeping. In the Union there is a growing dissatisfaction with the work of the leadership of the Union in recent years, especially since 2012. Pensioners are mostly dissatisfied with the previous work of the pension organization as a whole, as well as with the activities of municipal associations, on the one hand, and that is why we are launching an initiative and proposing to change the current situation in the organization, on the other hand. This was emphasized by Slavko Lazovski, pensioner and member of Butel Pensioners Association.

According to the current legal solution, 180 denars per month are kept from the pension for the pensioners, for which they previously sign a statement declaring their determination that the Fund will keep money for the Solidarity Fund and for the membership fee.

- Funds from the Solidarity Fund are paid for funeral expenses for a family member in the amount of 30 thousand denars. This solution is specific compared to solutions in other countries, that is, there is a legal regulation that gives the right to the Fund to keep these funds for a solidarity fund and for membership fees. As members of the Union, we asked for insight into the amount of funds, then what they are used for, in what way, etc. All retirees or the largest number of them sign this statement and thereby obtain legal coverage for the deduction of these funds from the account of the retiree. We cannot have an exact amount, but through some analysis we come to the knowledge that the Union has 8 million euros for the Solidarity Fund on an annual level and 800 million and XNUMX thousand euros for membership fees. The union is legally obliged to submit two reports, one of which is about the organization's financial operations, but practice says that they do not do that and do not publish it on the website - said Slavko Lazovski, a pensioner.

Improving the work and overcoming the bad conditions in the pension organization can be achieved with a new legal solution in the interest of pensioners and by financing the organization through the budget of the Pensioners' Fund.

- By analyzing the legal regulations and certain models of functioning of pension organizations in countries of the region and in other European countries, we came to the realization that we can radically improve our conditions if a new and completely different solution from the existing one is applied. Namely, we propose that the Solidarity Fund be treated as a legally established right of every pensioner, that is, it means that the budget of the Union is covered by funds from the Fund of Pensioners, and not from the pensioner's personal account, as is the current solution. At the same time, the payment of the membership fee should be ensured in this way. Our findings speak, and this is confirmed by the competent institutions, that the Pensioners' Fund is recovering, is stable in terms of sources of income and actually has funds. There are several suggestions, but one I can say is a good basis for conversation. For example, the membership fee can be 0.5% of the amount of the pension, and not be paid by those pensioners whose amount of pension is below the average.

According to Lazoski, who acquired his work experience as an employee in the Ministry of Finance, one of the areas that he believes that North Macedonia should regulate is the adoption of the Law on Taxation of Religious Communities. We can note that the time has passed when religious communities complained that they were poor and had no means. The state must have insight into their finances as it has insight into every account in the state.

- This issue should be actualized and put into the system so that after a certain period a law is passed. A citizen in the state can forget everything, but he cannot forget to pay taxes to the state. Religious communities are not and cannot be an exception or exempt from this obligation. We started working as a Commission established for that purpose, that is to create a legal solution and we were almost before its completion, when the work of the commission was obstructed by the member from the MOC. I believe that without increased taxation there is no development and if we do not solve this issue today, we will be forced to close it later.

Watch the entire conversation with Slavko Lazovski in the video: