TAKAUD hosts second MENA Pensions Conference in Nov
MANAMA: TAKAUD, the specialist provider of savings, investment and pension solutions for the MENA region, yesterday announced that it will hold the second MENA Pensions Conference on November 28, 2017, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manama, under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain. The themes of the 2017 Conference will focus on enhancing pension benefit sustainability through Public-Private Partnerships, and saving and investing for the long term.
Pension benefits are under strain globally. The success stories of public-private partnerships (P3) internationally may be useful for the GCC and MENA region and will be examined at the Conference. P3 has greatly enhanced several sectors, including pensions in many countries. Now is the time to explore these kinds of options so that pension systems in the region can become more robust and economically sustainable going forward.
“Global experience shows that pensions require multiple pillars-among the government, corporate and individual sec- tors-to be more sustainable. The crucial role of corporations in the future wellbeing of employees, and the responsibility individuals have for their own retirement security need to be emphasized in this region. Building effective local models and institutional frameworks for pensions would be key prerequisites to move in this direction, which is the focus of this conference,” said Ebrahim Ebrahim, TAKAUD’s Chief Government Business and Communications Officer.
The Conference brings together representatives of public pension funds and financial institutions in the region, as well as global asset managers and private pension providers, so that all can contribute to the examination of issues and the crystallization of workable solutions.
Integral to the challenge of sustainable pension solutions is the art and science of investing for the long term. This is vital to both institutional and individual investors. With retirement being a very long time away for most people, pension investments must always take the long view. This focus will be of particular interest to pension funds, fund managers, trustees of corporate savings schemes and individual investors saving for retirement.
“Economically speaking, no government can do the job of providing pensions security on their own forever, especially if we’re talking about providing adequate income replacement during a retirement period that can easily extend to three decades and more,” added Ebrahim. “The 2017 MENA Pensions Conference is about creating awareness, broadening the focus to include both the public and private sectors, and facilitating wider participation by companies and individuals. “It is certainly time for the region to create a wider framework for more sustainable retirement options for people,” added Ebrahim.
This year’s conference will also feature an exhibition of participants within the pensions ecosystem, including private pension scheme administrators, asset managers, trust providers, Fintech application vendors and related financial services providers. The Conference is being cosponsored by a number of institutions, including Allianz Global Investors (a global asset manager), Robeco (a global asset manager), FIS Global (the world’s leading Fintech company), and Intertrust (a global corporation in fund and corporate services) amongst others. Additional sponsors and more details will be announced in the coming weeks.