Almost 80 percent of self-employed individuals in Slovakia paid only the minimum monthly mandatory contribution of €130 at the end of last year, according to official data from the social-insurer Sociálna Poisťovňa.
The insurer warns that many of them risk having such low pensions when retiring, that they might end up having to draw subsistence benefits. Viola Kromerová from the Slovak Self-Employed Union stated for the daily Pravda that in many cases a lack of income is the cause. The Union regards the level of taxation as too high. Labour Ministry spokesman Michal Stuška, however, claims that the percentage of those paying the minimum amount of insurance has dropped by 7-percent year-on-year. As of January the minimum sum was increased to €133.42 per month.
