Why the share of small amount pensions is so substantial in Latvia?

More than 70% of all old-age pensions in Latvia are smaller than 300 euro, which is close to the monetary value of the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. There is a number of reasons for it: the lack of noncontributory component and inadequately low minimum pensions, the absence of redistribution mechanisms in the mandatory notional defined contribution (pillar I) and funded (pillar II) schemes, an unfair conversion of pre-reform employment record into pension formula, and a high tax burden on pensioners. The authors proposed a package of measures to improve the situation: an introduction of basis pensions, linking minimum pensions to the country average wages, increasing income tax exempt for pensions, restoration of the supplements for pre-reform employment and their regular indexation, removal of the threshold in initial notional pension capital calculation or its reduction from 30 to 20 years.