GPSSA attends permanent technical committee for GCC civil retirement bodies

KUWAIT CITY, 7th February, 2023 (WAM) — A delegation from the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) is participating in the meeting of the permanent technical committee for civil retirement and social insurance bodies in the GCC countries, which is held in Kuwait until 8th February.

The participating delegation includes Mohammed Al Khayat, Digital Information Technology Executive Director; Mohammed Saqer Al Hammadi, Pension Operations Department Head; Arif Abdullah, Employment Affairs Department Head and Nisrine Elhauz, Information Technology Expert at the GPSSA.

The most important topics discussed at the meeting include seven initiatives such as the electronic link between pension authorities in the GCC countries, the training and rehabilitation initiative, which will launch its next session from 12th to 16th February in Saudi Arabia, and a project set up to develop collection mechanisms.

The meeting also addresses a benchmarking study carried out by the Public Institution for Social Security in Kuwait, which will be shared in its final form with member states after listening to their feedback and circulate to member states in its final form during the first half of 2023.

The meeting concludes with an introductory meeting for GCC nationals working in Kuwait, in which the most important issues related to the protection extension system are highlighted. Employers will also be present to discuss the most important challenges they face at the level of registration and contribution on behalf of GCC nationals working in the system. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, 8th February 2023 at 09:00 at the Salwa Sabah Conference Center in Kuwait.

It is worth noting that the Insurance Protection Extension System is one of the GCC pension systems that issued a decision during the 25th session of the GCC Supreme Council held in Bahrain in December 2004, stipulating the commitment of each of the GCC countries to extend the insurance protection umbrella for its citizens employed in a government and/or private sector outside their own home country, and in one of the other GCC countries.

The system distinguishes that it provides GCC citizens working in any of the countries of the ‘Cooperation Council’ with insurance protection as if they were working in their own home country, where they can, at the end of their service, obtain the retirement pension when the eligibility conditions apply or pay the end-of-service benefit, and the effect of this protection extends to include the beneficiaries who are supported by the insured during his/her lifetime.