Roumen Ovcharov, formerly Bulgaria’s economy minister and now chairperson of Parliament’s committee on the budget and finance, has suggested that the state give pensioners mobile phones.

In an interview with Bulgarian-language daily Sega published on July 18 2008, Ovcharov is quoted as saying it would be a “good idea” to give pensioners mobile phones that they could use to make free calls to emergency numbers and to family members, with time limits on these calls.

On the basis of 2005 figures, it is estimated that Bulgaria has about 1.28 million people over the age of 65, making up just more than 17 per cent of the population. The age of 65 is not a fully accurate measure, however, because the retirement age for men and women differs.

Pensioners in Bulgaria who have no income other than pension payments are far from having surplus money.

In July 2008, Bulgaria’s Cabinet approved amendments to the social security code that will mean an increase in pension payments to about 62 per cent of all pensioners – about a million people, according to official estimates – by an average of 8.5 per cent as of October 1 2008.

In real terms, this means that the average amount of pensions for contributory years of service and age will be 235.87 leva (115 euro) from October 2008, up from the current average 197 leva.

According to Government projections, in 2009 the average pension will be 269.60 leva.