A growing cash flow into the social security fund reserve,
including pension and unemployment insurance, officially shows that
the far-reaching social welfare reform - which is closely related
to the welfare of millions of urban workers in China - is receiving
a wider embrace.
Officials and experts on a recent social welfare workshop in
Dalian, northeast China’s
Liaoning Province, said the steady flow will pave a smooth way
for the far-reaching reform on the previous cradle-to-grave welfare
system in the planned economy period.
China’s pension fund reserve is expected to witness a bulging
increase of 60.8 billion yuan (US$7.36 billion) this year, compared
with three years ago, while there will be a 12 billion yuan
(US$1.45 billion) increase in the unemployment security fund.
That forecast was based on the growing public affiliation to the
dual programs, the core of the country’s ongoing social security
restructuring, officials said.
By
the end of June, more than 105 million people signed up for
contributions to the pension fund - approximately 20 million people
more than in 1998.
The same period also saw the same amount of increase in the
unemployment security program, which comprised more than 102
million by the end of June.
A
recent survey by the National Bureau
of Statistics on 10 major cities in China found that topping
the concerns of the people are medical care and insurance reform,
as well as unemployment and jobs, which all relate to social
security issues.
According to the forum, 95 percent of the 23 million workers laid
off from state-owned enterprises nationwide have been guaranteed
basic living allowances over the past three years.
At
the same time, 15 million of them were re-employed. Last year, 99.3
percent of the 30 million retired workers received their pensions
on time.
Wang Jianlun, vice-minister of labor and social security, said the
fund collection effort should be strengthened to make sure all the
participants can have ample access to pension and unemployment
relief when they retire or leave on the corporate payroll.
(China
Daily 09/25/2001)