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Further Improving Social Security System by Doing "Two-Guarantees" Work Well
The National Social Security Working Conference held by the State Council has come to a successful end. It is a very important conference held at the advent of the new century and the coming first year of the "10th Five-year" Plan.
Guided by the spirit of the Party's 15th National Congress and the Fourth and Fifth Plenary Sessions of the 15th Party Central Committee, the meeting implemented the essence of the Central Economic Working Conference and carried out the central authorities' principles and policies on social security work, reaffirmed the major significance of doing a good job in the "two guarantees" (guaranteeing the basic living standards of workers laid off from State-owned enterprises (SOEs), guaranteeing the timely and full payment of pensions to enterprise retirees) and accelerating perfection of the social security system, clearly defined the general goal and basic tenets and made arrangements for the social security work of next year and for a period of time to come.
These efforts will play a forceful role in promoting the further advance of the "two-guarantees" work and speeding up perfection of the social security system and will exert far-reaching influence on deepening reforms, maintaining social stability and boosting the sustained, rapid and sound development of the national economy.
Continuing to ensure success in the "two guarantees" work and perfecting the social security system is a major policy decision made by the Party Central Committee on the basis of the overall situation regarding reform, development and stability, it is a concrete expression of implementation of General Secretary Jiang Zemin's important thinking about the "three representatives" (representing advanced productive forces, representing advanced culture and representing the fundamental interests of the people).
The guarantee of pension, medical care and employment as well as minimum living standards--all concern the vital interests of the broad masses of the people. Proper solutions of these questions embody the consistent principle of our Party showing concern for the life of the masses.
Perfecting the social security system provides an important condition for deepening reforms and pushing forward economic structural readjustment during the "10th Five-year" Plan period, and is the urgent demand for dealing with the problem of China's aging population in the new century.
In recent years, under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and with the support of the broad masses of the people, important progress has been made in China's social security system reform and notable results have been achieved in the "two guarantees", the basic life of laid-off workers has been effectively guaranteed, pensions for enterprise retirees have been basically issued on time and in full, thus creating favorable conditions for the strategic readjustment of the national economy and the achievement of the objective for the reform and difficulty relief of State-owned enterprises in three years.
At present, a basic framework of the social security system focused on the security system for pension, medical care and unemployment insurance as well as urban dwellers' minimum living standards has initially taken shape.
Currently, China's social security system is not perfect enough, there still exist the problems, such as mono fund-raising channel for social insurance, narrow insurance coverage scope, the system is not perfect enough and management is not so standard as desired; there also exists the problem that the "two guarantees" have not been fully implemented because fund and work are not in place. For the establishment of a social security system independent of enterprises and institutions, the task is heavy and the road ahead is long.
To perfect the social security system, it is first necessary to continue to regard the successful "two-guarantees" work as the primary task for the present social security work that needs to be firmly and effectively grasped.
We should keep the objective of the "two-guarantees" work unchanged, there should be no more new defaults, past payments in arrears should be paid retroactively as soon as possible; we should keep the current policy on the "two guarantees" unchanged and continue to carry out the "three-thirds system" of fund-raising principle, deficiency should be made up, guaranteed by the finance department;
We should keep the requirement of the "two-guarantees" work unchanged, various localities should continue to regard the "two-guarantees" work as a project to be undertaken by the Party and government heads who should grasp it firmly and effectively, they should further expand the coverage scope of social insurance, strengthen the collection and payment of funds according to law, comprehensively realize the issuance of pension by community and accelerate perfection of the system guaranteeing the minimum living standards for urban residents.
At the same time, it is necessary to do a good job of the work of employment and re-employment in a down-to-earth manner, actively push ahead the reform of the basic medical insurance system for urban workers and staff members, and simultaneously and successfully carry out reform of the medical, health and medicine production and circulation system.
It is necessary to continue doing a good job of the "two-guarantees" work, improve the social security system; it is essential to carefully organize the experimental work of perfecting the social security system.
In line with the arrangements and requirements of the Plan for Experiment on Perfecting the Urban Social Security System issued by the State Council, pilot regions designated by the Liaoning provincial and various other provincial people's governments should conscientiously do the readjustment work well and perfect the basic pension insurance system for urban enterprise employees, do a good job of the transition of the system of guaranteeing the basic living standards of workers laid off from State-owned enterprises to the unemployment insurance system.
It is necessary to strengthen policy publicity to win the understanding and support of the masses of workers; it is imperative to raise funds through multiple channels, and on the premise of guaranteeing the issuance of pensions, to realize the real account operation of personal account; it is necessary to carefully formulate policies, and properly solve problems related to laid-off workers and the re-employment center. Work in various fields must be done carefully and solidly, so as to maintain social stability.
To continue to do the "two-guarantees" work well and perfect the social security system, it is necessary to proceed from the national condition, and this task must be in conformity with the developmental level of the national economy and the sustainable capacity of various quarters.
It is necessary to guarantee people's basic living needs; persist in the combination of fairness and efficiency, and the correspondence of rights and duties, due consideration should be given to the interests of the State, the enterprise and individuals; uphold initiative and steadiness, pay attention to the connection and transition of the old system to the new one, avoid major change.
It is necessary to follow the basic principles, such as proceeding from near to far and gradual perfection, maintaining the continuity of the social security policy, subordinating local interests to the interests of the whole, stimulating the enthusiasm of various quarters.
Establishing and perfecting a unified, standard social security system is a long-term arduous task. In the face of difficulties and contradictions, we should, first of all, reinforce our confidence. The high attention and correct leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the extensive support of various social sectors, as well as the practical experiences gained in reform over the past many years-all are favorable conditions for further doing a good job of the "two guarantees" and perfecting the social security system.
We should unify our thinking, enhance our understanding, establish our courage and confidence to overcome difficulties, we should grasp the experimental work as a major task, we should work out an experimental work plan as early as possible and lose no time to put it into practice.
Continuing to do the "two-guarantees" work well and perfect the social security system is a major matter concerning reform, development and stability, the task is extremely heavy. We are convinced hat so long as we use General Secretary Jiang Zemin's important thinking on the "three representatives" as the guidance and, in compliance with the requirement of guaranteeing the present and keeping an eye on the future and in the spirit of exhibiting a high sense of responsibility for the Party, the people and history, working with one heart and one mind, making active exploration, engaging in courageous practice and working in a down-to-earth manner, we can, in line with the strategic plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, successfully accomplish the task of the "two guarantees" and the experimental work and push the construction of the social security system to a new stage.
This is the full text of the editorial published on the front page of today's People's Daily
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