Cape Verde: Prime Minister sets goals for the next decade of social protection

José Maria das Neves, Prime Minister of Cape Verde, aims at a social protection coverage rate of 95% of the population over the next ten years. The announcement made in Cidade da Praia on 16 July, during the opening session of the Conference “Segurança Social: Os Impactos na Luta Contra a Pobreza” (Social Security:  Impacts of the Fight Against Poverty), which took place on the occasion of the celebration of Cape Verde’s National Social Security Day.

The Prime Minister moreover sets as a goal for the next decade the equalisation of the minimum social pension to the minimum wage, which should be achieved; as well as the creation of a complementary system for Cape Verdean emigrants in Europe and the United States of America and the inclusion of all Cape Verdean artists in the social security system.

In this context, it is worth noting that the social security system of Cape Verde currently numbers 180,000 beneficiaries, of which 150,000 are registered in the contributive system and 27,000 in the non-contributive system, data which was revealed by Madalena Neves, Minister of Labour, Professional Training and Social Security of Cape Verde, also present at the occasion.

Timor-Leste: MTSS of Portugal supports creation of universal
social protection system

A team from the Portuguese Labour and Social Solidarity Ministry (MTSS) travelled to Timor Leste in July, with the purpose of contributing to the creation of a universal social protection system, a goal which the Timor Lest Government hopes to accomplish before the end of the year.

João Soares, General Director of the Social Solidarity Ministry of Timor Leste, said that the Government intends to bring social security to the workers using for reference the already existing systems in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), in particular the Portuguese and the Brazilian systems. The support of the technical mission is focused on old age, health and maternity assistance.

According to José Albuquerque, General Director of the MTSS Office of Strategy and Planning (GEP-MTSS), the fact that the East Timor Government has advanced with the elaboration of a new Labour Code which will be in effect before the end of 2010, will help in the creation of the social security system as the Code already contains rules of social protection payments. According to the same source, the Portuguese team is working on a report which is expected to include perspectives which may exist in Timor, including incomes, coverage and expenses, in a medium to long-term perspective. The report will be presented by September 2010.

Ratification of a Social Security Pact between Angola and Cape Verde

Hence, workers from Cape Verde living in Angola and workers from Angola living on Cape Verde are now protected in the social security domain; they are subject to the obligations and entitled to the rights stated in law under the same conditions as national workers from each country.
Commenting on this, the Youth and Counsel of Ministers Presidency Minister of Cape Verde, Janira Hopffer Almada, stated that as far as Cape Verde was concerned, the pact covers cases of illness, maternity and paternity, disability, old age and death. Furthermore, the Minister explained that with the approval of the pact «the cash benefits granted according to law cannot be subject to reductions, modifications, suspensions or retentions due to the fact that the beneficiary resides in the other territory or the other country».

Mozambique: Maputo hosts
course on Social Security 

The Social Security Course was held in Maputo from 12th to 16th of July. It was organized by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC-ILO) in collaboration with BIT/STEP Portugal Project and the National Social Security Institute (INSS) of Mozambique. During five days of activities, Social Security principles and basic concepts, fonts and models of financing, basic concepts of actuarial evaluation and the most relevant characteristics of social welfare in Brazil, as well as Costa Rica and Ecuador’s experiences, were studied.