Bulgaria’s elderly people are going to be able to raise their grandchildren and to receive an additional monetary recompense, according to the changes of the Program for Employment Encouragement.

The Bulgarian Parliament approved the changes at first read during their Friday session.

The retired individuals in the country, who are taking care of their 3-year-old or younger grandchildren, are now going to be able to receive their retirement pension plus the minimum salary for Bulgaria, which, starting next year, is expected to become BGN 240.

The changes aim at encouraging mothers of young children to return to the work force market and to provide access to this market for retirees.

In addition, the Parliament approved at first read Friday a draft for a bill arranging the labor and insurance rights of the Bulgarian medics, who were jailed in Libya. The bill provides that the medics would receive insurance from the state budget in the amount of BGN 30,000 for the time spent in jail, while their years behind bars would count for years of service for retirement purposes.