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Women’s retirement at 65 backed by commission

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Women’s retirement at 65 backed by commission
Interior Minister Alain Berset won support for raised women's retirement age. Photo: Swiss Federal Assembly

A plan promoted by Interior Minister Alain Berset to raise the retirement age for women in Switzerland to 65 from 64 has won key support from a parliamentary commission.

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The senate’s public health commission on Monday endorsed the proposal, recommending that it take effect in four years time rather than the six years proposed by Berset, the ATS news agency reported.

Changing the retirement age for women is part of a package of reforms pushed by the minister and largely backed by the commission to cover expenditures for the country’s social insurance plan (AHV).

The statutory retirement age for men of 65 would not be changed under the proposal.

Berset has proposed raising the sales tax (currently eight percent for most goods and services) by 1.5 percent between now and 2030 to help cover rising social costs.

The commission backed an increase of one percent in three stages between now and 2025, ATS said.

An increase in deductions for the national pension plan was also endorsed, among other adjustements.

Reforms to the AHV and to the pensions system are designed to cover an extra 8.3 billion francs in extra spending for the social plan between now and 2030 as more baby boomers begin to retire.

The proposals are subject to parliamentary approval and will ultimately be voted on by Swiss citizens in a referendum.

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