188
one
of the
countries
small amount could be accumulated where the period of covered employment was short. Mainly for this reason,
at the seminar had represented introduced a contributory family pension scheme in conjunction with the existing provident fund scheme. A participant informed the seminar that in his country where
by workers in the private sector were covered
a provident fund
whereas scheme, government employees had a pension scheme, it would soon become necessary to improve the schene for the former group because they were now aware of the beneficial protection afforded to the government employees through the pension scheme, compared with the provident fund scheme available to them.
as
a
The seminar discussed questions concerning the shortage of medical personnel in developing countries of the region. The seminar noted that there should be close association and co-ordination between public health services and medical ser-
in crder to ensure an vices provided by social security institutions
effective distribution and employment of medical personnel and facilities. The seminar discussed the role to be played by traditional medicine in the social security system and, in this connection, the observer participant of the World Health
were examining Organisation considered that some countries
the possible use of traditional forms of medical services where they appeared to be able to provide medical services which were valid; in terms of the cost of providing nealth services, such an approach was very important particularly in the extension of medical care to the rural area.
Several participants pointed out that in instances where workers were Faid their wages partly in cash and partly in kind, it was very difficult to assess the rate of contributions to be paid in respect of then, so as to enable them to receive meaningful benefits in the case of a covered contingency. The author of the working paper observed that the rate of contributions should be related in a reasonable
way to a person's total earnings in cash and in kind; it had to be fairly stabilised and relatively permanent but, at the same time, it had to be adjusted as frequently as necessary. This particular problem would be more important when an attempt was made to apply social insurance in rural areas where remuneration was frequently paid in kind. The seminar considered that further studies should be carried out to discover suitable solutions to the problem.
Towards the end of the discussions on the working papers, the seminar agreed that it was essential to carry out effective workers' education programmes on social security, for further and successful development of social security in the region. Workers had to be made fully aware of their rights and responsibilities in social security which was essentially designed for their benefit, and their understanding and active co-operation were indispensable tor its actual implementation and particularly for the collection of contributions.
4.
Financial aspects of social security and social security statistics (working paper prepared by
Social Security Section, ILO, Geneva, and
presented to the seminar by Albert Haeworth Robertson)
full
Most of the discussion dealt with questions and answers intended to clarify the points presented
in writing in the working paper and orally by Mr. Robertson. Such discussions are not summarised here except where they appear to be of particular interest.
Following the presentation and discussion of the working paper, several of the participants expressed an increased appreciation of the need for actuarial advice in the early stages of planning a social security system as well as after such a system has begun operation. The relative shortage and unavailability of social security actuaries was acknowledged. Reference was made by Mr. Robertson to ILO technical assistance in this field as well as to the longer range objective of the ILO of providing practical training for existing actuaries to enable them to perform social security actuarial work. The participants expressed considerable interest in this latter objective.
The rationale underlying the accumulation of reserve funds under a social security system was discussed. The need for separate accounting with respect to reserve funds accumulated for long-term benefits and for short-term benefits was discussed (so that, among other reasons, long-term funds would not be spent prematurely for short-term benefits, resulting in eventual deficits in funds needed for long-term benefits).
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