Pensions will be increased on average by 131 rubles, and the average old age pension will be 1,890 rubles. The maximum pension for non-working pensioners will be 2,090 rubles from 1 August (without taking into account pensioners in the North).
The head of the Pension fund, M, Zurabov, assured Vladimir Putin that the Pension Fund should not experience any problems with financing the increased pensions.
The President also inquired how the experiment was going on improving medical service for pensioners, in which the Pension Fund is participating. M. Zurabov reported that the Kostroma, Oryol, Samara and Tomsk Oblasts had also been included in this program, and that from 1 August the Novgorod and Pskov Oblasts and the Krasnodar Krai would be added to them.
Thus, before the end of 2003 16 regions of the Russian Federation and over 6 million non-working pensioners will take part in the experiment.