About 286,000 pensioners have received the promised increase of their pensions. Their February pensions are already transferred and are increased by Denar 550, Vice Premier and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said on Wednesday.

"This way we directly assist the pensioners' living standard. Of course, money is never sufficient, but any increase in these difficult times means a lot. We have promised and realized this", Stavreski said after today's meeting with pensioners' associations.

He announced that the Government would continue to increase pensions in 2014 and 2015, if economic circumstances allowed it.

Stavreski stressed that the pensions' increase has also been accompanied by other recent measures, such as reduction of medicine prices, free hospitalization and free public transportation.

Besides the pension hike, as of today the public welfare is also increased by five percent.