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Vuksanović Stanković: We’re devoted to our citizens

Draginja Vuksanović Stanković

President of the Socialist Democratic Party, Mrs Draginja Vuksanović-Stanković, says that her party is committed to the citizens and concept of the development of the society in which everyone will live a good life.

“We believe it’s so unfair that there’s no pay rise for over 4.000 policemen or healthcare and education employees”, Mrs Vuksanović Stanković says.

“There’s a huge number of honorable, dedicated and responsible people in those sectors, who deserve fair treatment and adequate compensation for everything they do”, says Mrs Stanković.

She says her party will continue to insist on raising the pay for those sectors, the way countries of the region and East Europe did.

A populist story?

Asked if the story about the pay rise is just a populist one, Mrs Vuksanović Stanković says that SDP has initiated that story firmly believing that those who heal, teach and protect this country must have a salary whose average won’t be below the average salary in our country.

The fact that a doctor earns less that deputy head of cabinet of the President of the Government is disturbing, Mrs Stanković holds.

“The Government is showing off its GDP growth, although citizens don’t feel that. Real wages amount to less than 2,3% regardless of GDP. Why?”, asks Mrs Stanković.

She claims the Government has defined a pay rise for health and education employees under the pressure of the trade union, the public and SDP. However, doctors still have unsatisfactory salaries.

Law on pension and disability insurance is of utmost importance

SDP president reminds that amendments to the Law on pension and disability insurance were agreed in 2018.

“Unfortunately, the law has been in the “drawer” of the ministry and vice president of the Government. Therefore, we decided to collect signatures of citizens in order to adopt this proposal in the Parliament”, says Mrs Stanković.

She believes the Law is of utmost importance for thousands of people waiting for retirement, as the agreed amendments eliminate a quarter of the worst years of service, while increasing the amount of potential pension.

Minimum wage to amount to €250

As far as minimum wage is concerned, Mrs Stanković says that the initial SDP proposal for increasing it to €250 is correct. The present €222 is still the lowest amount of minimum wage in the region.

“The government keeps refusing the package of reform economic and social laws our party has been proposing for several years. The package encompasses increase in minimum wage and reduction in taxes and contributions for employers”, says Mrs Vuksanović Stanković.

Many people say SDP started to take care of citizens only when it took the opposition line. Mrs Stanković says that any good deed is easily forgotten.

Development concept

While SDP was in charge, there was no mention of selling Airports or ports in Montenegro.

“We believe that profitable companies owned by the state should keep generating revenue for the citizens of Montenegro, not foreign investors. Companies which have monopoly will always be profitable. The overriding question is whether that profit should stay in Montenegro or it should be a salary for foreign companies”, Mrs Stanković points out.

She states that SDP development concept is based on progressive taxation, not reduction of taxes for millionaires.

“The concept we advocate for is sustainable and committed to citizens and we firmly believe it will become dominant in Montenegro very soon”, Mrs Vuksanović Stanković concluded.

 

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