Social security reforms

Norway: New regulations on sick leave

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:18 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2011

Employees and self-employed workers with incomes of at least half the basic salary - NOK33,406 - may claim sick pay. Under current legislation beneficiaries must also have worked for at least four weeks immediately prior to becoming unable to work.

International: Social Security Agreement between Australia and the Czech Republic

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:17 +0000

Implementation date: 2012

A Social Security Agreement between Australia and the Czech Republic was signed on 16 September 2009 and came into effect on 1 July 2011.

China, The People's Republic: China to abolish free medical care for civil servants

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:16 +0000

Publication date: 2012

According to a recent official report from the People's Daily, at least 24 of the Chinese mainland's 31 provincial-level regions have abolished free medical care for civil servants who are now obliged to join the local contributory basic health insurance schemes, the most recent being Beijing as of 1 January 2012.

Bulgaria: Reform of the health system

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:15 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2012

The Bulgarian population is shrinking and aging. Bulgaria had a population of, approximately 7,930,000 in 2001 compared with 7,350,000 in 2011.

Jordan: Unemployment and maternity benefit introduced

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:15 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

The Social Security Corporation (SSC) of Jordan introduced two new social security benefits: Unemployment and Maternity benefits.

Thailand: Improved Social Security Office benefits

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:14 +0000

Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2011

The Social Security Office has increased and extended benefits to its insured members in four areas: illness, disability, maternity and family benefits.

Senegal: Planned reform of health insurance for all salaried workers

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:13 +0000

Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2011

The Senegalese compulsory health insurance system is based on social and occupational solidarity, organized through health insurance institutions (HII) in every company or group of companies; it has been experiencing structural problems for several years.

Australia: A new national agreement on health reform

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:12 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2011

Agreement was reached on the introduction of a new National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) in July 2011.

The NHRA replaces the memoranda of understanding endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 13 February 2011 as well as the National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement ratified by the COAG (with the exception of Western Australia) in April 2010.

France: The age of retirement to be raised more rapidly

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:51:10 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Date d'entrée en vigueur prévue: 2012

Under the 2010 retirement reform the statutory retirement age was to be increased progressively, reaching the age of 62 in 2018.

Switzerland: Technical changes to improve the implementation of old age and survivors' insurance

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:19:57 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Implementation date: 2012

Certain technical changes have been made to old age and survivors' insurance (Assurance-vieillesse et survivants (AVS)) as from January 2012 pending a possible increase in the retirement age for women.

Azerbaijan: Increase in labour pensions

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:07 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

As of 1 July 2011, in accordance with the amendments to the Labour Pensions law, pension benefits will increase by an average 40 per cent for those who retired before 1 January 2010.

Moldova, Republic of: Measures to combat contribution evasion

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:06 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

A new service, which is called Current Account System for Social Contributions, was launched by the National Office of Social Insurance in cooperation with the project USAID/BIZTAR in March 2011.

Russian Federation: New mechanism to secure pension rights

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:06 +0000

Legislation date: 2011

On 6 June 2011, the Russian President signed federal law "On pension provision guarantees for some categories of citizens".

Ukraine: A new pension reform

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:05 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

A new pension law on legislative measures to ensure pension reforming, which was implemented on 1 October, raises the retirement age to 60 for women and 62 for man who in public service, and increase the insurance qualifying period to 30 years for women and 35 years for men.

Latvia: Social security restrictions continue

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:05 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

A considerable deficit is forecasted for the State social insurance budget of Latvia over the next few years. Reportedly, a deficit of 277.

Russian Federation: Reform of the public health protection

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:04 +0000

Implementation date: 2012

After wide public discussion with health social security stakeholders, experts, medical professionals, pharmaceutical associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) the draft law on basic public health protection passed its first reading in the State Duma (Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament).

China, The People's Republic: Social insurance coverage extended to foreigners

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:03 +0000

Legislation date: 2010 | Implementation date: 2011

Article 97 of the Social Insurance Law of the People's Republic of China, which was adopted by the National People's Congress in October 2010 and entered into force on 1 July 2011, stipulates that "Foreign nationals who are employed in the Chinese territory shall enrol in the social insurance system in accordance with this law".

China, The People's Republic: Financial functions integrated into social security cards

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:03 +0000

Legislation date: 2011

The Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MoHRSS) and the People's Bank of China (BoC) jointly issued in late July 2011 the Circular on loading the Social Security Cards with Financial Functions, which is attached with an overall plan.

Colombia: Maternity benefits extended to 14 weeks

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:02 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

With the passage of Law 1468 on 30 June 2011, the Colombian congress extended paid maternity leave from twelve to fourteen weeks, making it consistent with International Labour Organization (ILO) recommendations.

Rwanda: Health insurance coverage for pensioners

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:02 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

As of 1 September 2011, the Rwandan Social Security Board (RSSB) extended health insurance coverage to pensioners through the Rwandaise Health Care Insurance (La Rwandaise d'assurance maladie (RAMA)).

Australia: New, more generous Work Bonus for pensioners over Age Pension age

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:01 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

Age Pension is a benefit paid to older Australians who meet age and residency requirements. For pensioners over Age Pension age, there is a Work Bonus that encourages them to participate in the workforce by allowing them to keep more of their pension when they have earnings from employment.

Philippines: PhilHealth introduces new payment scheme

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:01 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

Since 1 September 2011, the state-run health insurance organization in the Philippines, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), began implementing case rates payment, a new payment scheme that pays health care providers a pre-determined fixed rate for each treated case regardless of hospital category and length of stay in the hospital.

Peru: New old-age program to combat poverty

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Legislation date: 2011

On September 13, President Humala's cabinet approved a new means-tested, old-age program called Pensión 65 to be introduced in stages beginning in late 2011.

Australia: In-depth reform of the superannuation system to be introduced to Parliament

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Publication date: 2011

On September 21, the government unveiled the details of its Stronger Super reforms to the nearly 20‑year-old superannuation system, consisting of mandatory employer contributions to private pensions or retirement savings accounts.

Italy: Austerity measures include pension changes

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:59 +0000

Legislation date: 2011

On September 14, the Italian parliament approved pension changes as part of a EUR 54 billion (USD 73 billion) austerity plan designed to restore investor confidence in the country's creditworthiness.

Chile: Measures in favour of low-income and middle-class pensioners

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:59 +0000

Legislation date: 2011

A new law enacted on August 28 eliminates the health care contribution for pensioners who receive means-tested benefits and lowers the contribution rate for middle class pensioners.

Japan: Voluntary defined contribution pension plans overhauled

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:58 +0000

Legislation date: 2011 | Implementation date: 2012

Japan's legislature passed the Pension Security Enhancement Act in August. The new law, which becomes effective January 1, 2012, represents the most significant change to the country's voluntary defined contribution (DC) pension plans since their introduction in 2001.

Estonia: More flexibility and greater transparency for the second-pillar of the individual accounts

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:57 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

On August 1, new regulations went into effect for Estonia's second-pillar of mandatory individual accounts that increase workers' flexibility to switch pension funds, impose stricter investment limits for conservative funds (the least risky of the three categories of pension funds), and promote greater program transparency.

Peru: Pension fund limit on investment abroad raised

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:57 +0000

Legislation date: 2011
On July 13, Peru's Congress raised the pension fund limit on investment abroad from 30 per cent to 50 per cent of assets.

China, The People's Republic: Toward an integration of the social security system

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:47:56 +0000

Implementation date: 2011

The Social Insurance Law, which became effective on July 1, creates a national unified social security system designed to increase labor mobility within China.