June 2022

South Africa. Treasury sheds light on retirement reform proposals

At a recent conference, National Treasury’s Acting Director-General expounded on the two-pot retirement system, the governance of umbrella funds and changes to Regulation 28. Ismail Momoniat, Acting Director-General at National Treasury, addressed the Pension Lawyers Association Virtual Conference in May with an update on retirement reform developments. He confirmed that retirement reform is alive and well, although there is still a need to consolidate the various proposals. He focused on five main areas: 1. Two-pot system proposal On the two-pot system proposal, which...

Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez: A new era for Colombia

"What is coming here is real change, real change," Colombia's new President-elect, Gustavo Petro, promised his cheering supporters at his victory speech on Sunday night. As the country's first-ever left-wing leader - with a running mate, Francia Márquez, who will become the first black vice-president - Mr Petro's belief that Colombia has voted for change is hard to deny. Even before his victory, the country had voted for a departure from the status quo, with the outgoing president's nominated candidate failing...

May 2022

Progressing Towards Efficiency: The Role for Labor Tax Progression in Reforming Social Security

Progressing Towards Efficiency: The Role for Labor Tax Progression in Reforming Social Security

By Krzysztof Makarski, Joanna Tyrowicz & Oliwia Komada We study interactions between progressive labor taxation and social security reform. Increasing longevity puts fiscal strain that necessitates the social security reform. The current social security is redistributive, thus providing (at least partial) insurance against idiosyncratic income shocks, but at the expense of labor supply distortions. A reform which links pensions to individual incomes reduces distortions associated with social security contributions, but incurs insurance loss. We show that the progressive labor tax...

April 2022

Colombia presidential candidates agree need for pension reform

Candidates most likely to win Colombia's presidential elections on Friday agreed for the need to reform the country's unbalanced pension system so that it provides greater coverage for millions of poor people and redirects subsidies. Ideas for financing the reform ranged from a bulky tax reform to more radical plans such as using savings from private funds to pay the pensions of older adults who have not managed to save enough for their retirement, among others. Colombia's public pensions are beset...

France. Macron is now ‘back-pedalling’ on ‘brutal’ pension plans, Le Pen ally says

President Emmanuel Macron is “back-pedalling” in his offer to soften his planned pension reform to seduce voters but would still execute his plans if re-elected, the head of France’s far-right Rassemblement National party Jordan Bardella said on Tuesday. Campaigning in France’s former industrial heartland, Macron on Monday said he was prepared to readjust his planned pension reform, which is at the core of his programme for re-election. Read also The Danish Pension System: Design, Performance, and Challenges “I am ready to change...

The Danish Pension System: Design, Performance, and Challenges

By Andersen, Hougaard Jensen & Rangvid The need for pension reform is widely discussed against the backdrop of falling fertility rates and rising longevity. These developments challenge pension systems which in many countries already encounter problems with pension adequacy and financial sustainability. In the debate, reference is often made to Denmark as a model for pension system reform. This book offers the first coherent and in-depth description and analysis of the Danish pension system; its structure and performance. As is well-known to...

Major reform of the Dutch Pension system

On March 30, 2022 the Dutch government submitted draft legislation to reform the Dutch pension system, (the Bill) which is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2023. If the Dutch House of Representatives approves the proposal, it will go to the Senate where it is expected to pass. The deadline for transitioning to the new scheme is January 1, 2027 at the latest. This change will impact every employer with a pension scheme in place. In practice,...

March 2022

German government prepares Aktienrente bill

German government prepares Aktienrente bill

The statutory equity pension is an ‘integral part’ of the work of the current coalition government, says FDP’s Vogel The German government is working on a draft law to reform the first pillar scheme with the statutory equity pension model, or Aktienrente, to be finalised in the next few weeks, said Johannes Vogel, deputy chair of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and member of the parliamentary committee on labour and social affairs, in an interview with T-Online.de. The government, supported by...

Chile plans to reform controversial pension program next year

The Chilean government will send a long-awaited bill to reform the country's controversial private pension system to congress next year, Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Tuesday. Read also US. How to Improve Retirement Readiness in Under-represented Groups Reforming the current system, Pension Fund Administrators (AFP), was one of the biggest demands demonstrators had during the 2019 protests. One of the biggest complaints against the system is its low-paying pensions. Leftist President Gabriel Boric proposed eliminating the private system in favor of...

February 2022

Assessing the Macroeconomic Impact of Structural Reforms in Ukraine

Assessing the Macroeconomic Impact of Structural Reforms in Ukraine

By Anil Ari & Gabor Pula Ukraine’s economic performance has been anemic since the early 1990s. A major impediment to productivity growth has been low investment, held back by lack of strong and independent institutions. This paper aims to assess the major areas of institutional weakness in Ukraine and quantify the long-term growth impact of catching-up to Poland in terms of the quality of major economic institutions and market development. Our analysis identifies the legal system as the area where...