The Evolution Of Pension Systems In Eastern Europe And Central Asia

Since the early 1990s the transition economy countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia have had to adapt their pension systems in minor and often very major ways. Some of the changes relate to shrinking contribution bases and the inability of government's to finance prior commitments, while still having to protect the pensioned populations from poverty. Other changes, however, reflect the need to make pension systems more sustainable in light of forthcoming demographic changes. The reforms entail a move away from a single-pillar pay-as-you-go defined benefit systems toward multi-pillar systems that include a funded defined contribution component, and change that convert remaining pay-as-you-go components into ones that are more self sustaining and transparent. The paper describes ongoing developments, assesses the effects of current and forthcoming challenges in light of potential labor market changes, and examines choices for a new pensions system with respect to the organization, administration, guarantees, transition arrangements, participation requirements, role of the government, annuitization, and other factors. The paper concludes that though a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is clearly not appropriate, some practices emerging from the experiences in this region and elsewhere may offer useful guidance to others as they undertake deeper pension reforms.

"Formal pension systems are an important means of reducing poverty among the aged. In recent years, however, pension reform has become a pressing matter, as demographic aging, poor administration, early retirement, and unaffordable benefits have strained pension balances and overall public finances. Pension systems have become a source of macroeconomic instability, a constraint to economic growth, and an ineffective and/or inequitable provider of retirement income."

Europe’s pension systems –among the most celebrated features of its social welfare model— face tremendous challenges. With only 11 percent of the world’s population, Europe spends about 60 percent of global outlays on social protection, largely in pensions. In many countries, pension rules have encouraged people to retire sooner, while enjoying longer lives. Payroll taxes on a continuously expanding contributory base have financed these benefits. This model of pension provision is now being severely tested as pension systems reach maturity, while the population is aging and the labor force is starting to shrink. Measures to enable a continued tradition of providing old age security will include • raising retirement ages such that pensions are provided in the last 15 years of life, when work capacity traditionally diminishes • encouraging immigration to help fill the declining work force • rationalizing pension spending, putting priority on preventing old age poverty, and • encouraging savings to help provide the more comfortable retirement that individuals have come to expect. Some measures may be more appropriate in particular countries than others, yet undertaking all of them will likely require less drastic changes in any one of them. The specific choices will need to be discussed and agreed among each country’s own population, and be accompanied by enabling changes in pension policy, tax policy, financial markets policy, and labor policy. The fundamental issue is that, with these changes, the important achievements of European social policy can withstand the demographic onslaught and continue to provide old age security for generations to come.

This is the first comprehensive assessment of pension systems in the Middle East and North Africa. While other regions—Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, in particular—have been actively introducing reforms to their pension systems, Middle East and North African countries have lagged behind. This is explained, in part, by the common belief that, because demographics remain favorable—the countries are young and the labor force is expanding rapidly—financial problems are far in the future; as a result, pension reform does not have to be a priority in the broader policy agenda.However, the authors show that aging is not the only factor behind a financial crisis; the problem is the generosity of the current schemes. Moreover, badly designed benefit formulas and eligibility conditions introduce unnecessary economic distortions and make the systems vulnerable to adverse distributional transfers. The book does not present a general model that could solve the problems of all pension systems in Middle East and North Africa countries. Instead the authors focus on outlining a framework for guiding discussions on pension reform and making objective policy choices.This assessment will be useful for policy makers and government officials involved in pension reform in the Middle East and North Africa region.

This volume contains the findings of the research project "Institutional Change in Social Security: Pension Reforms in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic," which was completed in early 1999. Muller, a research fellow with the Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies at the European University Viadrina, examines the partial privatization path that Poland and Hungary chose, and compares their Latin American-styled methods to those of the Czech Republic (which fall well within the boundaries of the Bismarckian-Beveridgean pension traditions). In particular, she looks at which structural-institutional and actor-related factors account for radial pension reform. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The past decade has brought an increasing recognition to the importance of pension systems to the economic stability of nations and the security of their aging populations. This report attempts to explain current policy thinking and update the World Bank's perspective on pension reform. This book incorporates lessons learned from recent Bank experiences and research that have significantly increased knowledge and insight regarding how best to proceed in the future. The book has a comprehensive introduction and two main parts. Part I presents the conceptual underpinnings for the Bank's thinking on pension systems and reforms, including structure of Bank lending in this area. Part II highlights key design and implementation issues where it signals areas of confidence and areas for further research and experience, and includes a section on regional reform experiences, including Latin American and Europe and Central Asia.

Around the world, pension reform remains at the center of public debate. Its social, fiscal, and macroeconomic implications confront policy makers, practitioners, and academia with challenging questions. Pension systems in aging societies--in need of reform and further stressed by the pressures of globalization--require parallel reforms of the labor market and effective lifelong learning, not only to promote working longer, but to ensure that people can actually do so. At the same time, the working population should be motivated to contribute to pension schemes and prepare for old age. Diversify.

This new book provides a cross-country comparative analysis of the key issues shaping the latest pension reforms in Europe: political games, welfare models and pathways, population reactions, and observed and expected outcomes. Pension reform has been a top policy priority for European governments in the last decade. Ageing populations, changing labour market patterns and the process of European integration are the ‘irresistible forces’ pushing for reform throughout the region. The Political Economy of Pension Reform evaluates the political forces that make pension reform viable in different national and institutional contexts and the nature of political bargains, actors and cleavages surrounding policy change. The volume also examines the nature and outcomes of pension reform experiences in Europe, searching for a solution to the financial challenge posed by growing pension budgets. By addressing the nature of change, the pathways of reform, and the outcomes of the new pension mix in the region, the authors conclude with an analysis of people’s perceptions and attitudes towards pension policy and their acceptance or otherwise of different reform options. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of international political economy, European politics, and social policy.