GPSSA enriches initiatives to bolster social security bodies
The meeting will also discuss a set of pro positions aimed to facilitate and ensure the process of paying contributions within the protection extension system
The General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) is participating in the 52nd meeting of the permanent technical commitee for civil retirement and social security bodies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, which is being held in Doha, Qatar from 3-5 October 2022, in the presence of GCC representatives from the civil retirement bodies and social insurance sector.
GPSSA’S participating delegation is represented by members of the Permanent Technical Commitee who represent it in meetings related to the GGC region’s standing commitee of civil retirement and social security, headed by Mohamed Saqer Al Hammadi, Director of Pension Operations Department, and Arif Ahmed, Section Head - Director of Insurance Protection Extension Section.
Al Hammadi stated that the meeting aims to raise issues related to the affairs of GCC nationals working in GCC countries who enjoy the protection extension system that obliges employers across government and/or private sectors in the GCC countries to extend the umbrella of the insurance protection to GCC citizens working outside their home-country.
In its 52nd session, the meeting will discuss a number of initiatives, most importantly the need to review and update the unified system for extending insurance protection, the electronic link between civil retirement and social insurance agencies, the launch of a unified annual awareness campaign to raise awareness of the system of extending protection across GCC countries and the need to develop collection mechanisms.
Additionally, participants will also discuss mechanisms to enhance their participation internationally in order to benefit from outputs raised to improve pension practices in the field of social insurance, as well as share the different experiences of the pension system in the GCC region, especially since the international systems are known for their unique approach in terms of expanding insurance coverage.
The meeting will also discuss a set of propositions aimed to facilitate and ensure the process of paying contributions within the protection extension system, targeting employees who are not registered in the system according to direct coordination between pension agencies, alongside other topics on the agenda.
The Unified Law of Insurance Protection Extension was approved and issued under the decision of the Supreme Council of the GCC Member States during the 25th session held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in December 2004, when the unified system for extending insurance protection for GCC citizens was approved for employees not working in their own homecountry, but rather employed in a GCC member state of the council.
The UAE has enacted the law on 1st January 2007 by Cabinet Resolution No. (18) of 2007 issued by the Council of Ministers on 22nd July 2007 to regulate the provisions of insurance protection extension for GCC citizens working in civil retirement agencies outside their country in any of the GCC countries. This system was named the extension protection system and the decision to specify the GPSSA as the implementing agency in the UAE was taken.
Separately, the General Pension and Social
Security Authority (GPSSA) confirmed that one of the most important privileges provided by the Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 for Pension and Social Security is that insured individuals can receive the maximum pension at 100 percent of the contribution account salary.
Mohamed Saqer Al Hammadi, Head of the Pension Operations Department at the GPSSA, explained that being aware of the benefits of the law and the privileges it provides to the insured individual is aligned with the media campaign launched by the GPSSA at the beginning of the second half of 2022 under the slogan “Explore Your Advantages”, which enhances an insured individual’s awareness of the available benefits, to encourage insurers to make the best use out of the law.
Al Hammadi stressed that the law grants an insured individual with 35 years in service the maximum pension at 100 percent of the contribution account salary.
“The insured receives an additional bonus alongside three pension account salaries for each year spent at work ater 35 years.”