According to Cara, the measure aims to encourage the employment of this group, formalise the labour market and minimise abuses.
He said INSTAT data showed that the number of employed people aged over 64 reached around 145,000 in the second quarter of 2026.
For her part, Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation Olta Manjani said the government did not support the proposal to exempt employed pensioners from paying social insurance contributions for a four-year period, arguing that such a measure would undermine the financial sustainability of the scheme and the principle of equal treatment of contributors.

Manjani stressed that the government shared the objective of encouraging pensioners to remain economically active but opposed the proposed mechanism concerning social insurance.
“We want to create conditions that enable pensioners to continue contributing to the country’s economic and social life, recognising the experience, professionalism and skills they have acquired throughout their working lives,” Manjani said.
According to her, “the social insurance system is built on the contributory principle, meaning that contributions are paid on the wages earned through employment, rather than on the basis of an individual’s age, needs or wishes. Every job creates an obligation to pay contributions, as these contributions are precisely what fund pensions and ensure the continued functioning of the scheme.”

Manjani said that exempting working pensioners from social insurance contributions would reduce the scheme’s revenue, undermine its financial stability and create demands for similar exemptions from other groups. She stressed that any changes must safeguard equal treatment of contributors and ensure the long-term sustainability of the pension system. The draft law was rejected by a majority of votes against.

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