World Bank and EOBI to discuss pension policy

The World Bank and the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institutions (EOBI) to discuss key challenges in pension policy in Pakistan. In this regard the WB and EOBI to jointly organise a seminar in Islamabad as a part of the continuous efforts of the capacity building making in the area of social policy and pension.
EOBI officials told Business Recorder on Wednesday that earlier seminar was scheduled by the end of March but due to engagements of the Federal Labour Minister and Federal Labour Secretary in International Labour Organisation Conference, now the seminar will be held by May, 2007.
The seminar is designed as follow-up of a regional workshop on pension coverage for Asia was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in December 2006 and a workshop on pensions for Pakistan was held in April 2006 in Lahore.
The seminar aims to provide top policymakers and other key stakeholders in the pension debate with an overview of the latest concepts and frameworks about pension reform as well as a review of lessons from recent pension reforms taking place around the world. The programme combined in-depth analysis of pension reform issues with exercises in real-time policy-making.
Objectives of the seminar are to analyse the current situation of Pakistan in regard to benefits, coverage, and sustainability (liabilities and investment policy).
Explore alternatives to address policy issues through contributory schemes, discuss the experiences of different institutions in involved in the pension system, besides, supporting the civil society groups involved with old age income security to play a relevant role in pension policy and design in Pakistan.
The seminar also aims to support civil society groups involved with old age income security to play a relevant role in pension policy and design in Pakistan.
According to WB document the audience of the seminar would be high level policymakers with responsibilities in the design and implementation of pension reforms, high level staff of pension administration and supervision agencies, higher level and technical staff from the Social Security Administration and supervision institutions. The audience would also include civil society and other key stakeholders in the pension debate.
The workshop will involve a series of presentations by international and local experts from the different social security institutions on various aspects of old age income security including benefits, coverage, and sustainability (liabilities and investment policy and the role of mandated pension contributions and pension system design).