The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) is demanding the annulment of the abusive provisions forcing pensioners to pay huge sums of money for the issuance of certificates of employment. Otherwise, FACIAS will sue the National Public Pension House and the National Archives.
Currently, pensioners are being deprived of their legal rights by being required to pay significant sums of money to obtain the necessary documents to prove their contribution period if they are not recognised for a period of contribution. This measure is abusive and contrary to the legislation in force, particularly given the numerous errors present in the new recalculation decisions. Article 161 of Law No. 263/2010 on the unitary public pension system states that "applications in connection with the issuance of documents necessary for the establishment of pension rights are exempt from any kind of fees and commissions."However, the Pension House and the National Archives have acted in bad faith by ignoring this legal provision.
A preliminary complaint has been filed by FACIAS requesting the revocation of Order No. 299/29.05.2023, which imposes an unjustified financial burden on pensioners. The National Archives of Romania authority has been asked to urgently issue a new order to ensure compliance with the legal provisions and to exempt pensioners from abusive fees and commissions.
This action represents a further development of the "It's My Right" campaign, which is being run by FACIAS with the objective of protecting the rights of citizens and of combating abuses perpetrated by public institutions.
FACIAS calls on state authorities to respect the law and not to impose additional costs on already vulnerable pensioners.
Towards the end of last week, FACIAS published a practical guide containing the requisite steps for contesting the recalculation decision. It provides clear instructions and steps to be followed in order to request the recalculation of one's pension in accordance with the legal procedures.