14 February 2008, 15:01
Taking part in this event were People´s Deputies, members of the National Trilateral Socio-Economic Council, members of Central authorities, supervisory boards, administrations and executive boards of Obligatory State Social Insurance Funds, and scholars.
Vasyl Khara, Committee Chairman, reminded the audience that the Bill (Reg.No.0924), adopted by The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 11 April 2007 as a basis for further deliberations, specifies the basic principles underlying the operation of the collection and record system for the unified social premium towards Obligatory State Social Insurance, the unified charging of the social premium, the calculation and payment conditions and procedures, the authorities of the bodies administering the records of premiums collection, and the procedure for maintaining the State Social Insurance Roll.
Mykhailo Papiyev, a People´s Deputy, pointed out the provisions of this Bill that require improvement. He said that even if the amount of the unified social premium is not revised (currently this amounts to 41.5%), a dialogue must be launched between employees and employers concerning its repartition in the 50:50 ratio.
Oleksiy Zarudny, Head of the Retirement Fund Board, advised the audience of the soon to be introduced Unified Social Premium. He stressed that the Fund has already achieved a great deal, but several organizational and procedural matters must be resolved.
Delegates of the Round Table, taking the floor, named unregulated issues through which the introduction of the unified social premium may fail to deliver efficient results. They also suggested that functions related to the formation of insurance payments, the creation and maintenance of the State Social Insurance Roll, that currently are incumbent on the Retirement Fund of Ukraine, shall instead be handed over to the Social Insurance Funds. The financial system to be created in Ukraine will compete with the State Budget. The estimated State Budget Revenues in 2008 total UAH 215.400.000.000 The Retirement Fund´s Budget for 2008 amounts to UAH 141.200.000.000, the Fund´s own income making only 70% thereof. The revenues of other social insurance funds are much lower than those of the Retirement Fund, however their aggregate amount can ‘compete´ with the State Budget revenues.
There are no legal grounds for the Retirement Fund, being a State Executive Authority, to operate as a self-governing organisation based on social partnership and social dialogues, stressed the Round Table.
The majority of those present at the Round Table upheld the passing of this Bill.
The outcome of these discussions was a recommendation that the Social Policy Committee deliberates on the proposals and criticisms formulated during the discussions, and commissions a Task Force to put them together.
Delegates also recommended that the Committee speeds up the introduction of the Bill on the Floor for the second reading.