The debate advances pension reform in colombia and the trade unions, the Colombian Association of Pension and Unemployment Fund Administrators (Asofondos) and the Federation of Colombian Insurers (Fasecolda) have already presented their proposals for the discussion of the bill that the Government expects to file in March.
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The unions, made up of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) and the Confederation of Workers of Colombia (CTC)they made public a package of 30 propositions.
Among them, they ask that there be a single public fund that manages pensions, that is, that private funds be eliminated. In this way, all the contributions would be made to a solidarity regime of average premium, which would be managed by Colpensions.
Francisco Maltés, president of the CUT
“We believe that there should be only one public fund that manages pensions, since the private sector has been inefficient in this matter. In addition, we propose an old-age income of a minimum wage for people over 65 who do not have the possibility of retiring. We also request that the increase in pensions be equal to the minimum wage,» he explained. Francisco Maltés, president of the CUT.
For their part, both phasecolda as Asofondos proposed that the reform seek to respond to the advance of the aging of the population, not only of the present generation, but of the next ones. In addition, they made it clear that it must be sustainable over time and include solidarity and savings components.
Santiago Montenegro, president of Asofondos, a union that represents the AFPs in the country.
Courtesy Asofondos
The Minister of Labor, Gloria Inés Ramírez, highlighted some of the proposals and emphasized the importance of pension reform as a law that benefits the greatest number of Colombian men and women.
What is the Government’s proposal?
It is necessary to remember that the initial proposal of the Government is based on a system of pillars. The first of them is solidarity, since a basic income would be given to all those people who cannot obtain a pension. From the Ministry of Labor they say that they would benefit about 4 million older adults.
The second pillar is the contributory one, in which all people who earn up to four minimum wages will have to start making their mandatory contributions to the average premium regime administered by Colpensions. And the third is the complementary one, so that those who have income above it can make additional contributions to the individual savings regime of the pension and severance fund administrators (AFP).
