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[Tian Chengping, Minister of Labor and Social Security and Director of the Forum Organizing Committee]: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning! In Beij’s golden autumn, we ushered in that second China social security forum, where Chinese and foreign representative got together to discuss the establishment of a social security system covering urban and rural residents. On behalf of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and the organizers, I would like to extend my warm welcome and sincere thanks to the Chinese and foreign friends who have come to participate in the forum!
The theme of this annual forum is to establish a social security system covering urban and rural residents, which is an important issue in the process of China’s socialist market economy development and modernization and an important task to speed up the construction of social security system. The Party and the government have always attached great importance to social security. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee clearly stated that a social security system covering urban and rural residents will be basically established by 2020. This is an inevitable requirement of implementing Scientific Outlook on Development and coordinating urban and rural development, an important content of maintaining social fairness and justice and promoting social harmony, and an inherent requirement of safeguarding the fundamental interests of the people and following the law of social security development. Just now, State Councilor Hua Jianmin profoundly expounded the importance of perfecting the social security system, put forward the policy of social security system construction, and defined the main tasks of establishing a social security system covering urban and rural residents, which is of great guiding significance for doing a good job in social security work in the new period. We must fully understand and correctly grasp the important position and role of establishing a social security system covering urban and rural residents in the overall economic and social development, and earnestly implement it.
After years of practical exploration, China’s social security system reform has accumulated valuable experience in many aspects, and the basic system has become increasingly mature, which has reached a critical period of stereotypes, stability and sustainable development. Party committees and governments at all levels attach great importance to it and are widely recognized by all sectors of society, which provides a strong organizational guarantee for doing a good job in social security. The sound and rapid development of the national economy, increasing comprehensive national strength and accelerating the construction of the public finance system have laid a good foundation for further improving the social security system. At the same time, we should be soberly aware that there are still many hot and difficult issues that people and society pay attention to in the field of social security in China, and we will also face severe challenges such as aging population, diversified employment forms and urbanization. To solve these problems and meet these challenges, the masses have reacted strongly, and all sectors of society are full of expectations. We must seize the favorable opportunity, make full use of favorable conditions, deeply understand the urgency and arduousness of establishing a social security system covering urban and rural residents, adhere to the principle of "wide coverage, basic protection, multi-level and sustainable" based on China’s basic national conditions, constantly improve security projects, steadily improve the level of treatment, further broaden financing channels, speed up standardized management services, and gradually establish a social security system covering urban and rural residents, so that the broad masses can enjoy the fruits of national development and progress. Through our unremitting efforts, we will effectively transform the process of improving the level of economic and social development into a process of constantly improving the social security system covering urban and rural residents.Turn the process of promoting the development of social security into a process of continuously improving people’s well-being and promoting social harmony. To establish a social security system covering urban and rural residents, we must grasp the following basic principles and main tasks:
First, both urban and rural areas should be treated differently, and institutional arrangements should be made for the social security of various urban and rural residents. China’s urban and rural social security development is unbalanced, the rural old-age security system lags behind, and the situation of lack of medical care and medicine is outstanding. Most areas still basically stay in family security. In cities, some residents have not been included in the scope of social security, and the social security system needs to be further improved. We must co-ordinate the construction of urban and rural social security system, gradually bring all kinds of urban and rural residents into the coverage, and realize all kinds of insurance; In view of the trend of population mobility and urbanization, we will formulate ways to gradually connect various social security policies and standards in urban and rural areas. At the same time, in view of the dual structure of urban and rural areas, we should fully consider the differences in economic and social development between urban and rural areas, and implement different social security projects between urban and rural areas to reflect the differences in social security levels. At present, the key tasks are: to further improve the social insurance system with the basic old-age insurance for urban workers, basic medical insurance for urban workers and residents, unemployment insurance, industrial injury insurance and maternity insurance as the main contents, and to reform the old-age insurance system for government agencies and institutions; Pay close attention to the study of endowment insurance methods for migrant workers that are in line with the characteristics of migrant workers and can be linked with the current endowment insurance system, and promote migrant workers to participate in work-related injury insurance and medical insurance; Promote the construction of new rural cooperative medical system and explore the establishment of rural endowment insurance system; Encourage and guide the establishment of enterprise annuity and supplementary medical insurance system; To study the basic living security measures for difficult collective enterprises and unemployed elderly people who have not participated in endowment insurance in cities and towns;For urban and rural residents who have failed to participate in social insurance or are still poor even after participating in social insurance, the minimum living security and social medical assistance system for urban and rural residents will be established. [10:21]
Two, strengthen the government responsibility and fulfill the obligations of units and individuals, highlight the fair effect of social security, taking into account the efficiency of system operation. China’s social security operation and management system is still not perfect, with narrow coverage and low level of overall planning. It is difficult to transfer and continue the social insurance relationship, and the tripartite financing mechanism of the government, employers and individuals needs to be further strengthened. We must further strengthen the government’s management of social security, give full play to the government’s functions of regulating income distribution, maintaining social equity and providing equal public services, and earnestly perform government duties. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that rights correspond to obligations, earnestly fulfill the social responsibilities of units, fulfill individual payment obligations, attach importance to the efficiency of social security system operation, and establish a benign operating mechanism. At present, the key points are as follows: according to the requirements of establishing public finance, increasing investment in social security, constantly increasing the proportion of social security expenditure in government financial expenditure, especially focusing on solving the transformation costs of some employees’ resettlement and social security in the reform of state-owned enterprises; Strive to basically realize the provincial-level overall planning of endowment insurance in China in about two years, standardize the overall management methods, and clarify the responsibilities of governments at all levels; Further strengthen the management of collection and payment, strictly implement the system of social insurance registration and payment declaration, strengthen audit and supervision and law enforcement, and ensure that all funds should be collected; Establish and improve the fund supervision system such as internal control, information disclosure and information reporting system, improve the working mechanism of the social security supervision Committee, and increase the fund supervision; To study and formulate unified management measures for fund investment and operation,Maintain and increase value through various investment portfolios; Strengthen policy propaganda and supervision of law enforcement, improve the legal awareness of social security, and promote units and individuals to pay insurance premiums; Further improve the method of linking pension, medical care and unemployment insurance benefits with payment, encourage employees to work more, participate in insurance and enjoy more benefits, continuously expand coverage and increase fund income.
Three, based on the current and long-term, focus on solving outstanding problems left over from the system transition, and actively establish a long-term mechanism of social security. In the process of promoting the construction of China’s social security system, we are faced with some prominent contradictions involving the vital interests of the masses and a series of major problems affecting sustainable development. There is still a big gap between the degree of social security and the growing needs of the masses. We must base ourselves on the current situation and actively take measures to solve the problems left over from history. At the same time, we should focus on the long-term, accelerate the pace of system reform and innovation, and achieve sustainable development. At present, the key points are: focus on solving the outstanding problems left over from the system transition, and conscientiously implement the continuous adjustment of the treatment of enterprise retirees from 2008 to 2010; Effectively promote employees and retirees from difficult enterprises to participate in medical insurance; Study and improve the specific measures to solve the problem of "old industrial injury" treatment for employees; Conscientiously implement the resettlement and social security policies for employees of closed and bankrupt enterprises, and promote the solution of the problem of wage arrears of employees in difficult enterprises; Conscientiously implement the social security policy for land-expropriated farmers, and earnestly ensure that they are guaranteed upon requisition. The key points of establishing a sustainable social insurance system are: adhering to the old-age insurance system model combining social pooling with individual accounts, continuing to expand the pilot scope of implementing individual accounts, and strengthening the collection and management of funds; Establish a normal pension adjustment mechanism according to economic development and changes in wages and prices of employees, so as to keep the pension benefits of retired employees at a reasonable level;Gradually establish the adjustment mechanism of minimum living standard, unemployment insurance standard and minimum wage standard, so as to form a reasonable proportional relationship among them; Continue to expand the expenditure scope of unemployment insurance fund to better play the role of promoting employment; Actively explore the establishment of a trinity of "prevention, rehabilitation and compensation" industrial injury insurance system, and give full play to the role of promoting industrial injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Four, pay attention to the system construction and strengthen the management, and constantly improve the level of social security management services. Strengthening system construction is an important guarantee for establishing a social security system covering urban and rural residents, but the management can’t keep up and the system is difficult to implement effectively. With the continuous development of the cause, especially after a large number of flexible employees, migrant workers and urban and rural residents are included in the scope of social security, the scope, content, objects, projects and methods of handling management have changed greatly, and the problem of insufficient handling management services will become more prominent. It is urgent to strengthen the capacity building of social security institutions and improve the level of management services. At present, the key points are: adhering to the people-oriented concept, formulating the service standards of social insurance agencies and standardizing the construction of service facilities, strictly working procedures, and promoting the standardization, informationization and specialization of management services; Further enrich the handling service team, strengthen the construction of social security organizations in urban communities and towns, and improve the handling conditions; Accelerate the pace of information system engineering construction, so that the insured can enjoy more convenient and efficient services; Vigorously develop the service industry for the elderly and accelerate the construction of public service facilities and service networks for the elderly.
Five, not only to speed up the construction of the legal system, but also to pay attention to supervision and law enforcement, so as to provide legal protection for the establishment of a social security system covering urban and rural residents. Social security is a social and economic system enforced by national legislation. By formulating and implementing social security laws and regulations and strengthening supervision and law enforcement, it will further promote the realization of the mandatory, standardized and unified social security system. At present, China’s social security legislation still can’t meet the needs of career development, important laws such as social insurance have not been formulated, and there is no legal basis or insufficient legal effect level in practical work. At the same time, the labor security supervision and law enforcement is relatively lagging behind, and the law enforcement power is weak, which affects the effectiveness of laws and regulations. After years of practical exploration, the framework of China’s social security system has basically taken shape, and the time is ripe to upgrade the policies and measures that have been proved to be effective in practice into laws. We must pay equal attention to speeding up the construction of the legal system and strengthening supervision and law enforcement, and push social security work into the track of legalization. At present, the key points are: further promoting the legislative process of the Social Insurance Law; Pay close attention to the revision and formulation of relevant laws and regulations; Gradually expand the scope of supervision and law enforcement, improve supervision procedures, improve law enforcement agencies, strengthen the construction of law enforcement teams, and increase the investigation and punishment of illegal acts.
Ladies and gentlemen, comrades, there are still many key and difficult problems in establishing a social security system covering urban and rural residents. In particular, some tendentious and forward-looking problems will bring us severe challenges, which require in-depth study in theory and bold exploration in practice. It is hoped that experts and scholars will closely integrate with reality, strengthen theoretical research, strategic research and research on major issues, and put forward valuable opinions and suggestions to provide theoretical support and policy reserves for the development of social security. It is also hoped that practical workers will be brave in exploration, bold in practice, constantly sum up experience, accelerate the innovation of social security system and mechanism, and make due contributions to building a harmonious socialist society and a well-off society in an all-round way.
I wish the second China Social Security Forum a complete success! Thank you!
Editor: Xiu Rongteng