Nazarbayev sends women's pension reform bill back to parliament

    Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev June 7 announced he was sending a women's pension reform bill back to parliament for further discussion rather than sign it into law at this time, Zakon.kz reported.
    The cabinet and the National Bank of Kazakhstan failed to devote enough attention to soothing public concerns, he said, adding he was suggesting some changes for parliament to consider when it resumes discussing the bill. They include delaying the start of the 10-year period for gradually increasing women's minimum pension age (to January 1, 2018, rather than January 1, 2014) and having the government and employers make supplemental pension contributions on behalf of female workers on maternity leave.
    The bill, had it taken effect, eventually would have raised most women's pension age from the present-day 58 to 63, equal to men's pension age, Central Asia Online said.