The Office of the President's Pension Reform Committee is set to begin discussions on practical issues facing the pension system and will launch a string of regional forums in November, the Executive Yuan said today.
The government also plans to convene a national pension reform conference in January 2017 so that any amendments or legislations can be submitted for legislative review as early as possible.
Four regional forums will be held—one each in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan. The government has invited military personnel, civil servants, teachers, laborers, farmers, women, young people, elected officials and any citizen concerned about pension reform to participate and voice their opinions. Those recommendations will in turn serve as reference for forming future policies and programs. The forums will be held separately from the Pension Reform Committee meetings to allow committee members to take part in all gatherings.
As of September 8, the committee had held 12 meetings and heard reports on 13 pension systems managed by different government agencies. Starting with the next meeting, the committee will discuss specific issues, beginning with the overall pension system framework, followed by pension payouts, eligibility requirements, revenue sources, transitioning between systems, management of funds, and handling of special cases.
The government's objectives for pension reform are to create a financially viable system that will ensure the sustainability of social protection; narrow the benefit gaps among different groups and promote social solidarity; promote fair division of premium payments by employees, employers and the government; and achieve partial integration of different pension systems to provide separate but equal protection.
The reform efforts are not directed at any one group but to all citizens regardless of which work sector they are from, the Executive Yuan said. The pension system is integral to the nation's sustainable development and its reform will be critical for achieving generational justice.