The Assembly promotes dialogue about the SSC

After more than a year since the end of the dialogue on the Social Security Fund (HSS), the National Assembly has again gathered businessmen and workers to continue discussions on that institution.

The President of the Assembly, Crispiano Adames, held talks with the leaders of the National Council of Private Entrepreneurship (Conep) and the National Council of Organized Workers (Conato), meetings where the future of the CSS pension program was discussed.

In this regard, Conato presented a proposal through a citizens’ initiative in October 2021, which was considered by the Parliamentary Committee for Labor and Health on January 18, 2022.

This project would represent the first attempt by the Assembly to try to convene interested parties, including the Government.

Both the President of the Assembly Crispiano Adames and the responsible person of the Commission for Labor and Health Daniel Ramos indicated that they prudently waited for the Government to continue the dialogue for CSS, but they warn that there is a dead end and they are stagnating, so they decided to use their constitutional authority to intervene in this matter, in such manner as the Legislature may do.

“It’s not that we have to ask for some degree of permission as a legislature that has the constitutional ability to make decisions, but we wanted to do that in light of the open door policy that we’ve established with many issues in this assembly, over these two years,” Adams said.

The dialogue was suspended in mid-December 2021 pending the ILO report, which, despite being ready since August last year, did not allow its continuation.’

in 2005

It was the year in which the last comprehensive social security reforms were implemented.

twenty

years or 240 months is the time that the insured must pay in order to receive a pension.

Aniano Pinzón, head of Conat, said his project calls for a comprehensive revision of the CSS law to propose solutions, especially regarding the Disability, Old Age and Death (IVM) program.

“We have presented more than 16 recommendations related to economic and other issues on the governance of CSS, such as the selection of directors from within the board of directors and not imposed by the ruling government,” he mentioned.

The essence of the workers’ proposal is to return the HSS pension system to the solidarity model it had before the last reforms, which the employers do not share.

Rubén Castillo Gill, President of Conep, reported that he will also present a proposal to the Assembly on the SSC, focusing on IVM reforms and the institution’s management methods.

“We talked about corporate governance that allows for greater transparency and civic oversight. I think that when it comes to public funds, the management of HSS, there should always be ‘hyper-transparency’.”

Castillo clarified that even if they have their proposal for CSS, Conep will participate in the discussion on the Conato project.

“That is our obligation, from the perspective of the private sector. I believe that the Assembly has shown breadth and we have spoken bilaterally and collectively to try to ensure that the parties have common points for dialogue,” he said.

Deputy Ramos predicts that after the call to the Government, they could start within two weeks, the discussion in the first discussion of the Conato project.