Often looking at elderly people selling newspapers or minor goods from homemade stalls I recall a failed interview with a woman of age on the eve of the referendum. When questioned "What's Your opinion of the alterations and addenda submitted to the referendum?" she refused to answer point-blank and stepping aside she grumbled: "Alterations, addenda… Let introduce them better into the Law of pensions!"
I didn't expect such turn of events; still I apologized for having reopened her sores. I was ashamed and offended, but not for her answer, I was grievous about her herself, about the destiny of elderly people in general. The elder generation lived its best years with a hope that in old age they will live worthily without knowing insults and humiliations.
Today the minimal pension in the Republic of Tajikistan is 5 somoni (a citizen who retired before April 1, 2003 gets an addition of 20%). It is hardly imaginable how you can exist for this meager sum; it won't suffice even for a kilogram of meat or gas payment.
The number of pensioners registered by social insurance bodies in Sughd viloyat makes up at present 180977 people; 31041 being invalids. Average size of pensions over the viloyat is 11 somoni 63 dirams. Invalids are in the most difficult plight. According to article 110 of the "Law on Pension Insurance of RT Citizens" the pension of invalids pertaining to groups 1-2 since birth or young years is equal to the minimal amount - that of 5 somoni. Invalids of group 3 are assigned 50% of the minimal pension that makes 2.5 somoni. But not all invalids get even this pittance.
In search Yahyoyeva removed to Khujand from Obborik village, Ganchi district. Everyday she drags her 12 years-old daughter on shoulders to the mosque asking for alms. Kamola wasn't six months old when after an accident her both legs were amputated below the shins. The father perished in the traffic accident and her mother being a milkmaid became a victim of staff reduction in her native collective farm. "Except Kamola's money", - confesses Zulaikho, - we have no other source of income, no pension at all for me. Even humanitarian aid entering our village doesn't accrue to us".
Across the road a young man sitting in a wheelchair sells newspapers and magazines. The graduate of Khujand State University named after Bobojon Ghafurov had worked only for a year when a disaster happened. Doctors diagnosed a dire disease but his staunchness and courage help to survive, his pension of 10 somoni doesn't suffice even for a half of necessary medicines.
Victor Butenko has the same pension; you may often meet him in all the markets. His gentle singing can't leave people indifferent, his repertoire consists mostly of patriotic songs, now he is a registered captain, former landing force officer of army 40 in Afghanistan, bearer of "Red Star" order and "For War Merits" medal, former soloist of Alexandrov song and dance Ensemble. "The pension is not enough for life, I can't make both ends meet, so I am compelled to earn my living with songs", - says Victor Butenko.
At the entrance to the market two deaf-and-mute conjugal pairs, explain the prices for their commodity with difficulty, either on paper, or by fingers. Their pension of 2.5-3 somoni is purely symbolic.
Komiljon Rahimiyon is a lawyer by profession. He considers that no laws will help if the state fisc is empty. The president's fiat from October 25, 2002, #930 "On Increase of Wages for Employees of Budget Organizations, Pensions, Stipends for Students" introduced an alteration into the Law "On Social Protection of RT Citizens", since April 1, 2003 a minimal size of a pension rose by 20% and made up 6 somoni. Today the maximal size of a pension averages 70 somoni depending on service record and salaries. For example, if a person has an unbreakable service record in one institution earned for 25 years he/she may have 80% from his/her salary, but not exceeding 70 somoni. But there are other examples too. According to articles 27 and 43 of the "Law on Pension Insurance of RT Citizens" people who retired being invalids can have a pension in the size of 70% from their salary without limitation. There are examples when some citizens enjoy pensions in the range of 70-100 somoni. In the opinion of Bahrom Aminov, deputy chairman of the Fund of population social protection over Sughd viloyat, the laws concerned with pensions - "On Pension Insurance of RT Citizens", "On Social Insurance of RT Citizens", "On Social Protection of RT Invalids", "On Veterans" - need corrections. "To my conviction, - says B. Aminov, - at present it is necessary to rise a minimal size of pension for invalids in order they vacated working places for young unemployed specialists that will somehow help to solve the problem of unemployment among youth".
Today the participants of the Great Patriotic War and invalids with pensioners standing on equal footing with them look forward with the hope to EurAsEC, organization being created in the post-Soviet space. Only in Sughd viloyat there are 2776 people of this category. Apart from it 548 men participated in the liquidation of Chernobyl holocaust; 78 out of them being invalids - these are the data delivered by the chief of the 4-th department of the viloyat military commissariat, colonel Ashur Jamolov.
Over latest time it is bitter to walk along the alleys and pavements of Khujand - more often you meet beggars and hopeless people the majority of whom are pensioners and invalids. Penury and inconsolability drove many co-citizens of ours into the street, here we don't take into account Asian Gypsies for whom cadge is a profession. Pension problem settlement will influence not only the fate of these outcasts but the image of the country upon the whole.