In an interview for the Albanian Telegraphic Agency, Director of the Social Insurance Institute Astrit Hado explained that the process will be followed by the Institute itself and that the citizen who doesn’t need to go to court, but just to produce a family certificate through which he confirms the place where he used to live.

The Institute has already drafted the legal amendments, which have also been subject to public consultation and are expected to be approved by the government.

Hado emphasized that through this draft law, it has been ensured that all citizens, throughout the country, can benefit from the minimum pension, regardless of whether they have worked or not, whether they have worked full-time or part-time.

“It is enough to present a certificate confirming where they used to live”, he emphasized.

According to Hado, about 40 thousand citizens are expected to benefit from this law. /r.e/p.s./

Director of the Institute of Social Insurance Astrit Hado said that this bonus can be withdrawn throughout the year 2024.

The draft decision that is presented for review is in accordance with the political program of the government and is based on the legal provisions in the field of rewards and other social benefits.

It aims to reward in a special way persons who are treated with invalidity pension and persons who are treated with family pension, as two separate and very sensitive categories in terms of opportunities for economic well-being; the invalid due to their inability to work and family pension beneficiaries due to the loss of the head of the family.

The draft decision eases the sensitive social situation in which the invalids and people who have lost their head of the family find themselves.

The financial effects, resulting from the implementation of this decision, are estimated at the amount of 560,473,000 Lekë and are provided by the “Contingency Fund” approved in the 2023 budget and the Institute of Social Insurance budget for 2023./m.m/p.s./

During his presentation, Hado shared with the participants the experience of the Social Insurance Institute, on the practices followed in relation to pension payments, payment control and verification of livelihood for pensioners.

Also, at the conference, it was discussed about the electronic exchange of pensioners’ data between countries, for the elimination of unjust payments and those after death.

Currently, Institute has increased its commitment to minimize the risk from unfairly credited payments and for this reason it is interacting with other state institutions, focusing the work on the automation and improvement of all control links.

In this conference, where 30 international institutions are participating, the representatives are exchanging experiences for the protection of pension funds, the improvement of digitized services, as well as challenges on a global scale, in the field of social insurance.

This conference is organized by the Deutsche Post Renten Service (German Post – Pension Payment Service) with support from the DRV Bund, BMAS (German Federal Social Security and the German Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs).

/r.e/p.s./

General Director of the Social Insurance Institute Astrit Hado said in a statement for ATA that based on the agreement, the citizens of both countries will be able to benefit from maternity benefits, from the benefits that are taken in cases of accidents at work for those who are employed, as well as from old age, invalidity or family pensions in both countries.

“In recent years, the number of employees has increased, both of Albanian citizens working in Kosovo, and of Kosovo citizens who come and work in Albania. This agreement further facilitates the procedures, recognizes their insurance periods, so that citizens from both countries can benefit”, said Hado for ATA.

According to him, the agreement stipulates that all periods of work are gathered together, regardless of where the individuals worked and are considered as if they were performed in Albania.

Hado explained in the statement for ATA that when the insurance periods realized in the two countries overlap, Albania will take into account only the insurance periods realized in its territory.

“The agreement is currently approved in principle by both governments and is expected to go for discussion in the Parliamentary Committees, then pass to the plenary session for approval. After the approval in the Assembly, in order to enter into force, time is required while the two countries exchange the relevant diplomatic notes”, Hado explained.

Albania has currently agreements on mutual recognition of pensions with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, North Macedonia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Austria, Turkey and Belgium.

From the mutual recognition of social insurance contributions, it is estimated that about 100 thousand citizens will benefit.

So far, 3,100 Albanian citizens living and working within the country have benefited from such bilateral agreements./p.s./