State Social Protection Fund (Azerbaijan)

The State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan Republic (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası Dövlət Sosial Müdafiə Fondu) is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulating activities in the sector of social insurance and provision of pensions to citizens of Azerbaijan Republic. The agency is headed by Salim Muslumov.

History

Throughout the Soviet rule, the social insurance and pensions to citizens in Azerbaijan were provided by the state. The Soviet system of pensions was based on no contribution principle with employed citizens not directly contributing to any funds, and the state issuing pensions directly from the state budget or state organizations. In 1990, the Soviet Social Insurance Fund was founded and all enterprises, establishments, organizations, cooperatives, state farms, collective farms and other organizations in the country had to make contributions to this fund. In 1991, by the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR, Social Insurance Fund of Azerbaijan SSR was established.

After restoration of independence of Azerbaijan in the second half of 1991, the Azerbaijani branch of the Soviet Pension Fund was transformed into the Pension Fund of Azerbaijan by the Presidential Decree dated December 16, 1991. On June 1, 1992 the National Assembly of Azerbaijan passed a law "On the normative allocations for the Social Insurance and Employment Fund", according to which the social insurance contributions would make 40% of the gross payroll. The Pension Fund was to receive 85% of that amount, while the remaining 15% went to the Social Insurance Fund. In order to improve and modernize the social security system in the country, on September 30, 1992 President Abulfaz Elchibey issued a decree abolishing the Pension Fund and the Social Insurance Fund, and establishing the State Social Protection Fund in their place. Laws on social insurance and pension reforms in 1997 and 2001 further improved the social security system putting it in line with international standards. On August 4, 2003 another Presidential Decree "On measures for improving the state pension system in Azerbaijan Republic", the functions of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan Republic on providing, financing and control over payments of pensions and additional benefits were passed to the State Social Protection Fund. Due to reforms related to the single insurance–pension system in the country through 2006, the servicemen of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces and persons with special ranks became covered by the mandatory social insurance.^[1]

Structure

The fund is headed by its chairman and two deputies. It has a board of seven directors, which include the chairman, two deputies, the chairman of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, head of the central office of the fund, head of finance and budget department and the director of the department of the fund for work with the military personnel and persons with special ranks. Main functions of the agency are working out proposals on state policies in the field of social insurance and labor pensions; preparation of draft budget of the fund and ensure control over the approved budget; ensuring collection of mandatory state social insurance contributions from all entities and individuals engaged in work activity; enforcing control over implementation of legislative requirements in the process of mandatory social insurance; issuing pensions from the fund's budget; issuing benefits for temporary disability, pregnancy and child delivery, childcare limited to periods stipulated in legislation; issuing full or partial payments for spa treatments of the insured; issuing funeral grants, etc.^[2]

According to the fund management, its revenue grew by 8.7% in the first half of 2010. The number of individual personal accounts of the insured is 1,732,215.^[3] In 2011, 97.2% (AZM 1.916 bn) out of its total expenditures in 2011 will include payments to the population.^[4]

See also

• Cabinet of Azerbaijan
• Economy of Azerbaijan

References

Ministries and State Agencies of Republic of Azerbaijan State Ministries Agriculture Communications and Information Technologies Culture and Tourism Defense Defence Industry Ecology and Natural Resources Economic Development Education Emergency Situations Energy Finance Foreign Affairs Healthcare Internal Affairs Justice Labor and Social Protection of the Population National Security Taxes Transport Youth and Sports State Committees and Services Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources Border Service Civil Aviation Administration Committee for City Building and Architecture Committee for Family, Woman and Children Affairs Committee for Refugees and IDPs Committee for Securities Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents Committee on Work with Diaspora Copyright Agency Customs Committee Land and Cartography Committee Maritime Administration Migration Service National Archive Department Procurement Agency Property Issues Committee Social Protection Fund Statistics Committee