March 2020

06Mar

Romania adds fourth pillar in the legal framework for pensions

Until February 2020, the Romanian legal framework regarding pensions followed the three-pillar model generally promoted by the World Bank. However, a recent enactment (i.e. Law no. 1/2020 on occupational retirement provisions) that entered into force on 7 February 2020, transposing Directive no. 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision, has introduced a fourth pillar into Romania’s legal framework on occupational retirement provisions....

March 6, 2020
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January 2020

21Jan

Romania’s second pillar pension returns at nine-year high

Romania’s second pillar pension funds generated impressive returns in 2019 despite hostile policies from the previous government. According to the Romanian Pension Funds’ Association (APAPR), the seven second pillar pension funds averaged a 12-month nominal, asset-weighted yield as of the end of 2019 of 11.8%, a nine-year high and well above the year’s 4% inflation rate. The previous year the funds returned their lowest ever – and only sub-inflationary yield – of 1% compared to an inflation rate of...

January 21, 2020
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14Jan

Occupational pension system enforced in Romania as of February

The Law on Occupational Pensions will enter into force in Romania on February 7, Adevarul daily announced. The provisions of Law 1/2020 indicate how much money the employers and employees can contribute to such funds (Pillar IV) on a monthly basis, the daily commented. Specifically, Law 1/2020 stipulates that the employer decides whether or not to propose to the employee an occupational pension scheme. This has to be included in the employment contract. Then, the employer will sign a...

January 14, 2020
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October 2019

09Oct

Assets of Romanian pension funds up 26% YOY at end-June

The total assets managed by private pension fund managers (mandatory and voluntary) reached RON 57.43 billion (EUR 12.13 billion) at the end of June, up almost 26% year-on-year, according to data released by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF). The ratio of private pensions assets to GDP was 5.80% at the end of June, up from 5.22% at the end of last year. “Private pension funds are important institutional investors in the economy, and the investments they made on the...

October 9, 2019
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September 2019

05Sep

The road to bankruptcy: Romania’s fiscal deficit to reach 8 pct of GDP by 2022 if the new pension law is implemented, IMF says

The new pension law could double Romania’s already sizable fiscal deficit, which could reach 8 percent of GDP by 2022, and raise external financing needs to excessive levels if it will be implemented as is without offsetting policy measures, International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts warn. For 2019, IMF estimates a fiscal deficit of 3.7 percent of GDP in Romania. The government has enacted a new law that will double the pillar I pension benefits by 2022, without yet spelling...

September 5, 2019
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March 2019

13Mar

Romania’s PM Dancila assures there’s enough money for pensions

Romania’s social security budget will post a surplus of RON 1.7 billion (EUR 360 million) this year, as the Government’s decision of re-organizing the payment of employees’ contributions to the fund has paid dividends, prime minister Viorica Dancila assured in a press conference on March 12, in which she addressed the Presidency’s criticism of the 2019 budget planning. President Klaus Iohannis said in a statement on March 11 that "the social security budget misses some RON 1.4 billion." Dancila...

March 13, 2019
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January 2019

09Jan

Romania’s Government creates legal framework for occupational pensions

Romania’s Labour Ministry drafted a law that allows employers to set up occupational pensions for their employees, newly-appointed labour minister Marius Budai announced. The occupational pensions are designed as supplementary pensions, a benefit that employers can offer, he explained, according to local Agerpres. The law is aimed at implementing the EU Directive 2016/2341 of the European Parliament endorsed by the European Council on December 14, 2016 for the supervision of the specialised occupational pension funds managers. One or more employers can set...

January 9, 2019
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October 2018

18Oct

AmCham Romania warns new pension law poses risk for budgetary and macroeconomic imbalance

The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham), which represents 430 companies, expressed concern in a statement today regarding the significant increase of the social security expenses that the pension law draft, recently approved by the Romanian Government, levies on the general consolidated budget. “We believe that is mandatory for the presentation and consultations around this draft legislation with a major budgetary impact, to include information about the financing sources of the related increases, in accordance with the provisions of...

October 18, 2018
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17Oct

Romania to Double State Pensions by 2022

Government plans to boost pension spending to $35.2 billion in four years. In a move to eliminate discrepancies that have built up between various beneficiaries of the state pension system, Romania’s government has approved a plan to increase pension-related spending to 142 billion lei ($35.2 billion) by 2022, from approximately 62 billion lei this year. The plan is expected to more than double state pensions over the next four years for the country’s 5.2 million retirees, according to Reuters. Olguta Vasilescu, Romania’s...

October 17, 2018
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November 2017

16Nov

Romania should stay the course – funded private pensions the key to sustainable future, PensionsEurope warns

After the Romanian government has decided to cut the contributions to pillar II to 3.75% (instead of raising to 6% from the actual 5.1% as mentioned in the initial draft bill), people in Romania are now facing a significant risk of suffering a decrease in their future retirement income, PensionsEurope warns. "Funded pension are vital for future pensions as public pension come increasingly under pressure. Romania has been able to build excellent private pensions and should not start to dismantle...

November 16, 2017
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