September 5 (SeeNews) - Serbia's government plans to increase pensions as of January 1, finance minister Sinisa Mali said on Thursday.
"By the end of the year our oldest fellow citizens should expect a one-off payment of 5,000 dinars. If the calculations are correct, pensions will rise as of January 1. We will see how much it will be in accordance with the Swiss formula," Mali said in a video file posted on the website of public broadcaster RTS.
Moreover, the government plans to increase salaries in the public sector by the end of 2019, Mali said.
"By mid-September we will know the percentage of the increase," he added.
Serbia's budget surplus fell to 48.5 billion dinars ($453.4 million/412.5 million euro) in the first seven months of 2019 from 49.1 billion dinars in the prior-year period, official figures showed on Wednesday.
In September 2018, the government increased the minimum hourly net wage by 8.6% to 155.3 dinars from 143 dinars, as of January 1, 2019.
Serbia's average net wage rose by a real 7.4% year-on-year to 53,633 dinars in June, according to the most recent data available from the country's statistical office.
(1 euro = 117.484 dinars)