Africa
In Burundi there is a contributive pension for salaried workers covered by the labor code, military personnel, and civil service and public utility contract workers. There is also a special system for civil servants and a voluntary coverage for persons previously insured for at least six consecutive months. The government has plans to create a...
Law No. 135/AN/97, introduced in 1997, established the basis for “the reform of the social security system”. This law was introduced to replace a social benefit fund and the inter-enterprise medical service. The aim was to promote state disengagement in social security and the reduction of state control.
The country has a number of pieces of legislation designed to regulate Social Insurance provision for persons employed in the public and private sector. These include: The Public Servants’ Pensions Proclamation, No199 and 209 of 1963; the Public Servants Pension Proclamation No. 5 of 1974; Employees of Government Owned Undertakings Pension P...
In Kenya, important programmes include the ASAL, designated to arid and semi-arid regions in the country, the Orphans and Vulnerable Children cash transfer, the Hunger Safety Net Programme, the Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons Programme (monthly transfer of USD15), the Slump upgrading and the Low Cost Housing Programme, ...
Social protection in Madagascar aims to help the poor and most vulnerable in society (individuals, families and communities) to better manage the risks of loss of income or capital. Social Protection was included under the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.
In Malawi there is a pension scheme for public-sector employees only. The government is currently working on a project, in partnership with Help Age, to support the development of a policy on the elderly and the establishment of a social pension scheme.
In order to promote the welfare of senior citizens aged 55 and above the Mauritian Government has been operating a non-contributory universal pension to all people 60 years and older since 1976. These older persons are also entitled to travel freely on public transport. In addition, social assistance, such as income support, free wheelchairs, ...
Social Protection in Mozambique is defined by the Law Number 3/2007. The Social Protection System can be divided in three levels, namely: Basic Social Security, Compulsory Social Security and Additional Social Security.
The Ministry of Local Government, Good Governance, Community Development and Social Affairs is the organisation responsible for the administration of Social Security and Social Assistance in Rwanda. Under its coordination there is the assistance of vulnerable groups (poor, disabled, elderly, and refugees).
The Seychelles Government social protection system includes health care, education and social welfare. The 1987 Social Security Act covers old age, disability and death benefits for employees, the self-employed and the unemployed.
The Ministry of Public Service 1994 Pension Act and the 1985 National Social Security Fund Act are the main instruments of the Ugandan legislation and policies for social security and social protection, the first being related to retired civil servants and the second to a contributory scheme for workers in the formal sector. At present, howev...
The Social security system in Tanzania has a relatively broad net and includes those employed in the private and government sector, organised cooperatives and self-employed persons. However, social security schemes are largely limited to those people employed in the public and private formal sectors, who represent only a fraction of the popula...
The National Security Fund is the main organisation responsible for social security in Zambia. The system includes pension scheme for employed persons, including agricultural workers, domestic servants in urban areas, and apprentices. There is a special system for public-sector and local government employees. It includes: Old-Age Pension, Earl...
The Pension scheme has compulsory coverage for all employed persons between ages 16 and 65 who are citizens or residents of Zimbabwe. A universal coverage is to be achieved first by employees in all sectors with the exception of domestic workers and civil servants. Later, it will cover civil servants and then domestic workers, and ...
The Ministry of Social Assistance and Reintegration and the Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security are responsible for programmes and policies related to social protection. Emphasis is placed on the implementation of social policies that protect the most vulnerable and which guarantee their rights and promote their deve...
The Caisse National de Prévoyance Sociale (CNPS) is a pension scheme for employed persons under the coordination of the Ministry of Work and Social Security, created in 1967. The Regime de Fonctionnaires et assimilés is a special system for public servants.
The Social Insurance Scheme is comprised of an Old-Age Pension for men from the age of 55 or women from the age of 50; a Disability pension; a Survivor Pension; Sickness and Maternity; Work Injury; a Family Allowance which is designed for employees; and social beneficiaries with one or more children. The child must be under age 15 (age 18 if a...
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is no coherent social security system, and no medical insurance. School fees hamper access to education. However there is a collection of laws protecting employed persons (including casual workers) and a special system for civil servants, run by the National Social Security Institute.
The Government of Gabon supports family allowance schemes, aiming to guarantee the same benefits allocated under the contributory scheme for family benefits for the social groups concerned.
Old age, disability and survivors pension, sickness and maternity, and work injury benefits are part of the Social Insurance System in Sao Tome and Principe. The Government provides compulsory education for four years, and health care.
There is a Pension Scheme for all persons employed under a labor contract, including domestic workers, actors, and certain categories of fishermen and apprentices with earnings at least equal to half the legal minimum wage. There are special systems for armed forces personnel and the self-employed.
The Social Security system in Egypt relies on contributions paid by employees and employers, with benefits paid out in cases of work-related accidents, sickness and maternity, unemployment, old age, disability and death. In terms of coverage, it covers workers in both formal and informal sectors, employers, government employees, seasonal worke...
The Social insurance system covers all Libyan residents. Under this system there is the Old-Age Pension for men aged 65 and women aged 60; the Disability Pension for insured employees; and the Survivor Pension.
The country’s largest social protection scheme depends on the National Social Security Fund. However, the retirement pensions sector is not organised in any legislative framework and the total coverage is still limited.
The National Pension and Social Province Fund is the social security organism in charge of ensuring social coverage to public sector employees in Tunisia. The Pension Fund covers private sector employees and certain categories of fishermen. There is voluntary coverage for Tunisian workers employed abroad. There also are special systems for ci...
The Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale is a pension fund for the private sector. In the public sector the benefits come from Fonds National de Retraite. The government also manages the Old-Age Pension, Disability Pension, Survivor Pension, Maternity Benefits, Work Compensation and Family Allowance Programme.
There is a pension scheme for employed persons and apprentices. It is open for those previously insured for at least six consecutive months to join on a voluntary basis (if they apply five years after the compulsory insurance).The scheme excludes self-employed people and temporary workers. There is a special system for civil servan...
The Social Insurance System includes Old Age, Disability and Survivors’ Pension (men from 65 years, and women from 60 years); Sickness and Maternity benefits; Medical benefits for insured and dependents; Work Injury; Family and Nursing Allowance for insured employees; and a Funeral Grant for insured or some dependents. There is also a non-co...
The Social Insurance Institute – National Social Insurance Fund is responsible for managing the compulsory social insurance for employees in the private sector scheme. Besides this scheme, there is also a special system for civil servants. In 1999, a reform in the social security system was implemented to extend the coverage and benefits and...
In Gambia there are pension schemes for the private sector and for employees in quasi-government institutions. There is also a special system for civil servants covered by the 1950 Pensions Act and armed forces personnel. The Old-age pension is given to those aged 55 with at least 10 years of contributions and is administered by th...
In Ghana, there is a recognised basket of social provision. This includes access to water and sanitation, universal tuition-free basic education for all citizens, and primary health care.
The Social insurance in Guinea is comprised of an Old-Age Pension for men and women both aged 55; a Disability Pension in which the insured must be assessed with a loss of earning capacity; a Survivor Pension, paid to eligible survivors if the deceased was a pensioner, or met the qualifying conditions for an old-age pension or a disability pen...
A Social Assistance Fund was established through Decree No 32/75 but details on what this provides and who benefits are not available. Social support systems provide limited ad hoc assistance.
Liberia is recovering from more than two decades of civil conflict. The country faces serious challenges in rebuilding its infrastructure, among other post-conflict reconstruction and development priorities. However, the government is making efforts to reverse this and advance growth and reduce poverty amongst its people. The primary planning ...
There is a pension scheme for employed persons and voluntary coverage for the self-employed. There is also a special system for civil servants, magistrates, and armed forces personnel. The Social insurance System includes the old-age pension for men and women both aged 58 with 13 years of contribution; a disability pension; a survivor pension;...
The Contributory Social insurance includes family allowances for children younger than 14 years old and whose parent must work 18 days a month, or is the widow of a beneficiary. This scheme also embraces the old-age pension for men aged 60 and women aged 55, as well as the disability and survivor pensions.
The National Pension Commission (NPC) is the regulatory authority for pensions. The NPC provides uniform rules, regulations and minimum standards, and supervises all operators in the Nigerian pension industry. It was responsible for the Pension Reform Act of 2004 which provides contributory pension schemes for the public and private sector. It...
There is a contributory pension managed by the Social Insurance Institute for Old Age with limited coverage, in which less than 8 per cent of the working population is included and a low amount is given. There also are contribution-based health insurance programmes and many private health insurances schemes.
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust established by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act No. 5 of 2001 is the mechanism responsible for the administration of Sierra Leone’s National Pension Scheme. It covers employees in the public and private sectors and voluntary coverage for the self-employed and for insured pe...
The current law regulating social security is the Ordinance No 39-73 of 12 November, which was amended in 2001. The Pension Fund covers private sector employees including agricultural salaried workers and domestic workers, but excludes self-employed persons. There is also voluntary coverage for persons previously insured for at least six conse...
Even with the impressive economic growth since independent, Botswana still faces a number of challenges, in achieving four main objectives: Sustainable Development, Rapid Economic Growth, Economic Independence and Social Justice. In this context, in 2003, Botswana adopted a National Strategy for Poverty Reduction (NSPR), to ensure effective efforts...
The Social Pension scheme that runs in Lesotho, since 2004, is a non-contributory scheme provided by the government to older citizens from the age of 70. Those aged 70 years and above, except those already receiving a government pension, receive from M200 to M300.
All residents of the then South West Africa became eligible for the Old-Age Pension in 1973, although at highly differentiated rates reflecting the racially discriminatory policies of Apartheid.. This programme is administered by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, which is also responsible for the disabled, and the grants for people wi...
The government of South Africa implemented a means-tested, non-contributory old-age pension in 1928 and extended to all racial groups in 1993. It represents the greatest social security transfer programme in the country, and covers women over 60 years and men over 65 years. The monthly pension is about ZAR780 (or USD109). In 2008, the Social A...
In Swaziland there is a pension scheme for salaried workers and a special pension scheme for public servants. The Swaziland National Provident Fund was set up in 1974 as a savings scheme to provide benefits for employed persons who retire in old age or because of disability. All employers in the private sector, agricultural and industrial sect...
