GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY DISCUSS PROBLEMS IN DISTRUBUTION OF PENSIONS AND THEIR SOLUTION

Posted by: admin | Posted on: Апрель 23, 2013

Transparency Azerbaijan, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, organized a discussion of problems in access to pensions and their solution. The roundtable was one in a series organized by Transparency Azerbaijan to facilitate dialogue between government institutions and NGOs on ways to increase transparency and accountability. Representatives of the State Social Protection Fund, the State Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Corruption Department under the Prosecutor’s Office, as well as local and international NGOs participated in the roundtable. The Government of Azerbaijan has taken some measures to improve pension assignment and delivery and to reduce corruption in this area. These measures include payment of pensions through plastic cards, making the pension calculation process more transparent, and introducing penalties for officials involved in corrupt practices.
Roundtable participants identified and discussed current deficiencies in efforts to minimize corrupt practices in pension assignment, and to increase transparency and accountability in this area.
During the event, Elshan Mamadaliyev the head of Labor Pensions Department of the State Social Protection Fund Office spoke about the distribution of pensions in Azerbaijan. Azer Mehtiyev, Head of Assistance to Economic Initiatives Public Union talked about problems in pension allocation in Azerbaijan. Rena Safaralieva, Executive Director of Transparency Azerbaijan made general recommendations on improving transparency in pension distribution.
The participants praised the value in the exchanges of views between government and civil society. They decided to deliver, in writing, to the government agency all the recommendations from civil society organizations on improving transparency and accountability in the provision of pensions. Participants also addressed the media at the end of the event.