Changes in the social welfare area, along with the health care and tax areas, are the main part of the public finance reform introduced as of January. They affected birth allowances, sickness benefits, parental leave, the advantages for employers hiring disabled people and other benefits and allowances. Necas (Civic Democrats, ODS) said the profit the lowered taxes have brought to families with children exceeds the sum they lost as a result of lower social allowances. The Labour Ministry's 2008 budget reckons with expenditures of 434.3 billion crowns, compared to 435.1 billion spent in 2007. Necas said figures for January-May clearly show that the government's reform is effective. "The government's steps have halted the increase in the mandatory expenditures and stabilised public finances," he said. He said Czechs to seek end of German job limitations with EU presidency ...
Czechs to get "early" sickness benefits again as of July - Necas ...
Czech minister wants pensions to go up by 470 crowns ...
Czech cabinet to wait for court's written verdict on benefits ... the number of people who are absent from work due to short-time sickness has markedly fallen.
In the first months of 2008, the number of days people spent on sickness leave dropped by 11.4 percent year-on-year, Necas said. The figures have shown that the reforms have not unfavourably affected the socially most vulnerable groups of population, such as families with children and pensioners, Necas said. He said as a result of the government reforms, the net income of families of employees with children grew by 11.3 percent, exceeding the year-on-year 7 percent increase in living costs. Necas is planning further reform steps. He is working on two phases of the pension system reform, which are to change the system of private pension schemes and enable people to redirect part of their social insurance fees to private pension funds. The Chamber of Deputies is now debating a bill on employment that shortens the period for which unemployed people are entitled to state allowances. In autumn Necas plans to submit a pro-family package of legislation, introducing week-long paternity leaves, and advantages for those employing elderly people, parents of small children and disabled people. Changes are also planned in the system of social services.
(Ceske Noviny)
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