Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its reports. It would be grateful for further information on the following points.

Articles 17 and 18 of the Convention (in conjunction with Article 26). The Government indicates in its report that the rate of old-age pension for a standard beneficiary as defined in Article 26, paragraph 6(a), of the Convention amounted to 47.4 per cent of the net wage in 2000, the rate of 45 per cent prescribed by the Convention thus being exceeded. The Committee notes this information. It observes, however, that the statistics supplied are not extensive. So that it may better appreciate the manner in which the provisions on the rate of old-age pensions are applied in practice, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply in its next report all the statistical information in the form required by the report form under Article 26 of the Convention, for the same reference period, and in particular the gross and net earnings of a skilled male manual worker as defined in Article 26, paragraph 6 or 7, and the amount of the pension (provided to this beneficiary) broken down into the basic amount and the variable amount calculated for an insurance period of 30 years, in according with Article 18, paragraph 1(a), of the Convention.

Part V (Calculation of periodical payments), Article 29. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government on the review of old-age pensions and the statistics sent in its report on the evolution of the cost of living, earnings, and pensions (average per beneficiary). It notes, however, that the periods taken into consideration do not all coincide in that, for the cost of living index and the wages index the period taken into account appears to be from 1 January 1999 to 31 September 2000, whereas for the evolution of benefits the period runs from September 1999 to January 2001. It therefore hopes that the Government’s next report will contain for the same reference period all the statistics required by the report form under Article 29 of the Convention.

The Committee further notes that although the cost of living index and the wages index increased by 3.9 per cent and 6.29 per cent respectively between January 1999 and December 2000, pensions rose by only 0.9 per cent between September 1999 and January 2001. The Committee therefore hopes that the Government will be in a position to indicate in its next report the reasons for this discrepancy and to provide information on any measures taken or envisaged to ensure that better effect is given to Article 29 of the Convention on this point.