Mali explains: MINIMUM WAGE went up 5 times more than consumer basket

Minister of Finance, Sinisa Mali, says that the government came out with a proposal to increase the minimum wage for 2022 by 9.4 percent in relation to the current one, i.e. to more than RSD 35,000.

„This is the first time that our minimum wage will be almost EUR 300 and it is a sign of continuity that the Government of Serbia has been implementing when it comes to the minimum wage since 2017, when we completed fiscal consolidation and some difficult measures that are behind us“, Mali said for RTS TV.

He added that the greatest part of the increase in the minimum wage would be compensated by the state, through an increase of the non-taxable part of income and a reduction of contributions for PIO (Retirement and Disability) Fund.

He added that the minimum wage had increased by 52 percent since 2017, while in the same period, as Mali said, the recorded growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) was 17.3 percent.

Mali pointed out that this was still not enough for the minimum wage to cover the consumer basket, but that we were „exceptionally close“.

„In 2017, the coverage of the minimum consumer basket with the minimum wage was 62 percent. Today, it is 81.5 percent. When you take a closer look, since 2017, when we talk about the minimum consumer basket, the minimum wage has grown five times more”, Mali said.

Mali stated that they were fully committed to achieving the set goal and that, according to projections, in 2023 or 2024, the minimum consumer basket would be fully covered by the minimum wage.

Izvor: Beta

Foto: Beta/Miloš Miškov