EVOLUTION OF PENSION REFORMS: BULGARIA’S EXPERIENCE AND REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES

Agenda

 

Day One

February 16th, 2005 (Wednesday)

8:30 – 9:00                  

Registration

                       

9:00 – 9:15

Official Opening

Georgi Parvanov, President of Republic of Bulgaria

Debra McFarland, Mission Director, USAID Bulgaria

Hristina Hristova, Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Republic of Bulgaria

Apostol Apostolov, Chairperson, Financial Supervision Commission, Republic of Bulgaria

Jordan Hristoskov, Governor, National Social Security Institute, Republic of Bulgaria

Nikola Abadjiev, Chairperson, Bulgarian Association of Supplementary Pension Security Companies

Eduardo Tugendhat, President, CARANA Corporation

 

 

9:15 – 11:00

FIRST INFORMATION MODULE – BULGARIAN PENSION MODEL

1.                  Bulgarian Pension Reform: Prerequisites and Philosophy, Regulatory Framework, Development Stages

Jordan Hristoskov, Governor, National Social Security Institute, Bulgaria

Rosa Chiappe, Chief of Party, BearingPoint USAID Macroeconomic Reforms and Central Bank Strengthening Project, Serbia and Montenegro

 

2.                  USAID Integrated Approach to Pension Reform – the Role of Different Stakeholders

Denise Lamaute, Senior Pension Reform Advisor, USAID

Rayna Dimitrova, Senior Advisor, USAID Bulgaria

Eduardo Tugenhat, President, CARANA Corporation

 

3.                  International Financial Institutions’ Perspective on Modern Trends in the Development of Pension Systems

Herman von Gersdorff, Sector manager Social Protection, Europe and Central Asia, The World Bank

James Roaf, Resident Representative for Bulgaria, International Monetary Fund

Moderator: Debra McFarland, Mission Director, USAID Bulgaria

                                   

10:00 – 11:30  

Coffee break

 

11:30 – 12:30              

FIRST INFORMATION MODULE – BULGARIAN PENSION MODEL (Cont.)

 

4.                  Reform Implementation - Aspects:

·        The Role of the State

·        The Role of Trade Unions and Employer Organizations

·        Development of the Industry

·        Regulatory and Supervision Practices

·        Significance of Information and Public Disclosure and Education

·        Lessons from the Reform

Valeri Apostolov, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Republic of Bulgaria

Nikolay Nenkov, Deputy Chairperson, Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria

Dikran Tebeyan, Vice President, Bulgarian Industrial Association

Nikola Abadjiev, Chairperson, Bulgarian Association of Supplementary Pension Security Companies

Bisser Petkov, Deputy Chairperson and Head of Social Insurance Supervision Division, Financial Supervision Commission, Bulgaria

Gergana Rakovska, Deputy Chief of Party, Labor Market Project, USAID Bulgaria

 

12:30 – 13:00  

Discussion on First Information Module

 

Moderator: Jordan Hristoskov, Governor, National Social Security Institute, Bulgaria

 

13:00 – 14:30  

Lunch

 

14:30 – 16:00              

SECOND INFORMATION MODULE – PENSION REFORMS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

 

1.                  Systems Design and Characteristics;

2.                  Pension Fund Investments and Investment Regulations;

3.                  Regulatory and Supervision Practices;

4.                  Lessons from the Reforms

Guillermo Arthur, President, International Federation of Pension Fund Administrators (FIAP), Chile

Slawomir Pomaranski, Head of Division, Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Commission, Poland

Csaba Nagy, President, Association of Pension Funds, Hungary

Zorica Apostolska, Director, Agency for Supervision of Fully Funded Pensions Insurance (MAPAS), Macedonia

 

15:30 – 16:00  

Coffee break

 

Aidar Alibayev, President, Pension Fund Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Galina Morozova, Chairperson, National Association of Voluntary Pension Funds, Russia

Arieta Koshutova, Managing Director, Kosovo Pension Savings Trust (KPST)

Volodymyr Yatsenko, Senior Social Sector Specialist, USAID Mission for Ikraine, Belarus and Moldova

 

 

17:00 – 17:30  

Discussion on Second Information Module, Conclusions on Day One Topics, and Introduction of Day Two Topics

 

18:30                          

Formal dinner for all participants

 

Day Two

February 17th, 2005 (Thursday)

 

9:00 – 10:30

THIRD INFORMATION MODULE – CHALLENGES IN PENSION SYSTEMS

1.                  Bulgaria in the Context of EU Enlargement

Jaap Maassen – Chairman of European Federation for Retirement Provision

Apostol Apostolov, Chairperson, Financial Supervision Commission, Bulgaria

Pawel Pelc, Expert, USAID, Deputy President, Capital Market Association, Poland

Nikolay Nikolov, Social Policy Secretary of the President of Republic of Bulgaria

 

 

10:30 – 11:00  

Coffee break

 

11:00 – 12:00

THIRD INFORMATION MODULE – CHALLENGES IN PENSION SYSTEMS (Cont.)

 

2.                  The Old and New Member States of EU. Country cases.

Ferenc Szebeledi – Lawyer, Legal Department, Financial Supervision Authority, Hungary

Denise Lamaute, Senior Pension Reform Advisor, USAID

 

12:00 – 12:45  

Discussion on Third Information Module, Concluding Remarks, and Conference Wrap-up

 

Moderator: Bisser Petkov, Deputy Chairperson and Head of Social Insurance Supervision, Financial Supervision Commission, Republic of Bulgaria

 

13:00 – 14:30  

Lunch

 

14:30 – 17:30              

Organized Visits for International Participants to National Social Security Institute, Financial Supervision Commission, and Pension Fund Managing Companies