320 mln of social security funds returned to state budget
By Rasana Gasimova
Azerbaijan’s State Social Protection Fund in 2019 ensured a refund of 320 million manats ($188 million) to the state budget, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev said at a meeting on the results of 2019 chaired by President Ilham Aliyev on January 13.
“In 2019, the State Social Protection Fund revenue plan was implemented by 105.4 percent, which ensured additional revenues in the amount of 150 million manats ($88 million),” Babayev noted.
He noted that as a result of using electronic system for assigning pensions and disability benefits, it was possible to save about 180 million manats ($105 million).
“As a result, over the past year, resources of the fund - 150 million manats in the middle of the year and another 170 million manats at the end of the year - were returned to the state budget, making up 320 million manats,” he stressed.
Babayev added that these savings allowed allocating additional 190 million manats to implement social reforms in 2020.
Revenues and expenses of the State Social Protection Fund budget reached the level of 4 billion 128,104 million manats in 2019.
Reforms carried out in Azerbaijan have positive impact on the social services sector. Social security system automation, as well as the development and implementation of the DOST concept are real success indicators of the country’s state policy.
Last year, Azerbaijan has taken a new step to improve its social security and protection. In order to provide an effective package of social services, the Agency for Sustainable and Operational Social Security (DOST Agency) was created.
The main spheres of the agency's services include labor, employment, social security, appointment of pensions, social benefits, targeted social assistance, disability assessment, disability determination, banking services, lawyer consultation, insurance services and etc.
The citizens will be provided with 126 services in the fields of employment, labor, disability and social protection based on a single-window principle.
Over 38,000 Azerbaijani citizens benefited from the services of the new center, and the level of their servicing covered 96 percent.
Expenses for social benefits and pensions in Azerbaijan’s state budget for 2020 are projected at 3.244 billion manat ($1.912 billion), which is by 770.5 million manat ($454.169 million) or by 31.1 percent more than in 2019.
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