February 3, 1960
FARMERS’ PENSIONS: The leader of the Democratic Socialist Party, Georgios Papandreou, addressed a debate in Parliament yesterday about providing farmers with pensions. He said that the government and opposition should unite to save the countryside from decline and, by extension, the country itself, by granting farmers old-age pensions. CONSTANTINE KARAMANLIS: In response to Papandreou, Prime Minister Constantine Karamanlis said that the government had taken a clear stance on the issue, as was evident by the fact that it had been the government itself that first raised the pension issue, which would most likely be resolved within the next six months. The premier said the results of a survey would allow the government to determine when, and under what conditions, farmers would be granted a social security fund. At the moment, however, all the facts were not known, such as the number of people involved and the revenue available from various sources. When such a decision is made, the farmers themselves will be asked to make contributions, as is done in the few countries where farmers actually receive retirement, Karamanlis added.
