BUJUMBURA August 9th (ABP) – The draft decree amending the decree of March 31, 2010 in relation to the National Office for Pensions and Occupational Risks of Civil Servants, Magistrates and Agents of the Judicial Order (ONPR) has been studied at the Council of Ministers on August 3, 2022, according to the press release from the General Secretariat of the State. After exchange and debate, the project was adopted with some observations and recommendations.
It was observed, among other things, that the existing texts do not allow ONPR staff to be affiliated with that institution. The decisions of the Board of Directors are sent to the supervising minister and the latter seizes the Regulatory Authority for Social Protection Programs and Systems for an opinion and to reshape the Board of Directors by including two representatives of pensioners, by eliminating public and political representatives and that of the staff of the ONPR and by putting in it a representative of the ministry in charge of national Education in the place of a representative of the most representative union of teachers. It will also be necessary to delete the category of public and political representatives because they are governed by other texts.
The draft decree on the terms of application of the law of March 14, 2022 amending certain provisions of the law of May 12, 2020 on the Code of social protection in Burundi for the public sector was also on the agenda. Indeed, it was specified that the promulgation of the law of March 14, 2022 has the merit of revaluing pensions initially for the benefit of the public sector.
That revaluation consists in granting a monthly pension equal to the last net salary of the insured and raising the level of the minimum pension to a floor of 30,000 BIF. It is with a view to making this upgrading operational that this draft decree was initiated.
It aims first of all to define clearly among its policyholders, the beneficiaries of this revaluation, who are political or public representatives, members of the defense and security corps and public sector agents whose salaries come from the budget of the State.
The other point discussed in relation to pensions is the draft joint ordinance raising the pensions received by public sector retirees retired before January 1, 2020 and concerns those whose salary comes from the budget of the State. It is increased by 30%. It also specifies that no old age, disability or early retirement pension received by a beneficiary of the public sector before January 1, 2020 may not be less than 30,000 BIF. After discussion and debate, the project was adopted with, among other recommendations, the insertion of a provision specifying that the reform will be financed by the INSS and ONPR and that the State will support them by setting up a Sustainability Fund of that reform.