Neuquén politics always had a quota of not calling things by their name to soften the effects. It happened with the privileged retirements whose conditions – a strange thing – were established for the benefit of the political class but during the dictatorship when what was least there was, precisely, the political class.
The Social Security Institute of Neuquén, ISSN, published the closing of last year’s accounts during which it received large funds from the Provincial Treasury derived from the stabilization fund, a dream that entertained previous legislators but that, before taking office, the current governor Rolando Figueroa was in charge of shaking up.
Of the amount of money paid in pensions, 10% came from royalties from hydrocarbon exports. In philosophical terms, money from all Neuquéns destined for a sector of public employees. In political terms, the State assumes the payment of its retirees.
If you put the magnifying glass on the ten subfunds managed by the Retirement and Pensions Directorate of the provincial pension agency, there are two that turned out to be surpluses, if that concept can be used in what means income and expenses.
The savings banks that made a “profit” received more money for the contributions (discount on the worker’s salary) and contributions (contribution from the employer), were those that group the staff of public hospitals and that of the municipalities in the interior of the province.to.
In this last case, it must be clarified that the ISSN does not administer the pensions of the municipality of Neuquén has its own fund, the Municipal Social Security Institute, which establishes its own pension administration rules.
The other side is what was indicated at the beginning of the note. There are 295 contributors to the politicians’ coffers, la of elective positions, which must pay the pensions of 196 retirees. Obviously the money contributed by those who were elected is not enough, it only covers 40% of the pensions.
The government of Rolando Figueroa presented a bill to eliminate what it called privilege retirements. In reality, the metaphor included that those who hold elective positions could retire with the amount of the diet, regardless of the time they enjoyed it. In the general system, a balance is made between the salaries of the last three years and then retirement is calculated. That is the privilege of the law that was put into effect in 1980 when there were no elective positions.
The metaphor allowed us to establish a cloak of mercy over the highest pensions paid by the ISSN, which are those of the Judiciary. It is true that the 20% of the salary contributed by the members of this power is higher than that provided, for example, by the police. The privilege of the magistrates is that the seniority is taken into accountad since they enrolled, shortly after graduating from college, and not since they entered the State.
Last year, the judicial subfund paid almost 20 billion to 904 retirees. While Health employees paid a little more than 22 billion pesos to 3,341 retirees.
The Ministry of Health personnel account had, until last year, some 11,873 contributors. Between income and expenses, 24.4% of the money remained in favor, although, as is known, it is a distribution system, where everything goes to a common fund.
The other box, the municipal one, had more income than expenses. Between one and the other, there was a difference of 43%. It had 14,024 contributors and 3,348 retirees. A andThis account is contributed by the 56 municipalities in the interior of the province and there is a certain condescending look at critical moments.
The smaller municipalities that do not contribute what they deduct and what corresponds to them as employers receive facilities. By decree, the previous administration configured the co-participation distribution account provincial so that this debt can be discounted so as not to put the finances of the ISSN at risk.
Of the ten sub-funds, then, there are two that were sustainable, that is to say that the money from the contributions and contributions reached and left overto pay their retirees.
Roads more retirees than contributors
To the box of elective positions, In the ranking of the most deficient, Provincial Roads is followed. On another scale, due to a salary scale issue, working road employees only pay 47% of what their retirees are paid..
It is the only account that has more retirees than peoples in activity. Indeed, according to the 2023 balance, there were 617 road workers in Neuquén and 722 retirees. This may be one of the reasons why what he received managed to cover that percentage of the jlocations.
The subbox of the Banco Provincia de Neuquén is also in deficit and What the financial institution and its employees contribute only reaches 77% of what is paid to the 506 retirees. In less than 80% we must add that of the judicial ones, whose discounts are only enough to also cover 77% of retirements.
The most robust sub-funds that the ISSN has in terms of contributors and retirees, sare those that bring together central administration personnel and teachers. The income received by the organization pays 83 and 80% of the pensions of both sectors, while the legislative ones reach the maximum of 86%.
When the provincial retirement system is discussed, the feared harmonization that Mauricio Macri’s administration was able to use to condition the contributions of the National Social Security Administration, Anses, for the provinces that did not transfer the pension is put on the table (under or on). box. Basically, it was requested that retirement conditions be unified with the national system, such as age and the way of calculating retirement assets.
In general terms, in Neuquén, women retire at 55 and in the National at 60, and men at 60 and at the national level at 65. Retirement is established based on political variables and in Neuquén they are guaranteed by the Constitution Provincial in 80% of the assets of the active worker.
In any case, the GobiThe Governor of the Province initiated and maintains a claim before the Anses to transfer the funds he owes to the ISSNof 2017 and that correspond to it by law.
A year ago, since there was not enough money to pay retirees, the Legislature authorized the provincial Executive to use part of the Neuquén Stabilization and Development Fund (Feden) to address the deficit.
The anticyclical bottom was an aspirin
Nevertheless, the use of the so-called anticyclical fund was a palliativewhich ultimately postponed the resolution until later.
On January 12 of this year, the ISSN administration sent a note to the Ministry of Economy requesting new financing on an urgent basis, through a contribution non-refundable from the Provincial Treasury towards the pension fund of 5,015 million pesos. It wasn’t the first.
Meanwhile, the pension deficit for 2024, calculated by the ISSN based on January 2024 salaries, is 99.4 billion pesos, according to official sources.
The provincial government initiated several administrative claims to Anses for the transfer of funds that correspond to the ISSN for the harmonization of part of its cash. This is a historic claim by the province, which is one of those that did not transfer its retirement funds to the central administration.
“Given this situation and the commitment to maintain the retirement age, it became imperative – to guarantee the sustainability of the funds – to increase contributions, while maintaining the claim for payment of the historical debt,” it was argued when the increase was resolved. of the contributions.
It was highlighted that, at the same time, austerity measures are being carried out by the provincial government: elimination of privileged retirements, survey and reconversion of social programs into employment programs and reduction of 50% of staff positions. politics in the provincial Executive; among others.
The increase in contributions and contributions had unequal effects and was put on the negotiating table, precisely because the new government was inaugurated this year and the previous agreement signed with the unions expired.
In the case of general-level workers, retirement contributions went from 15.5% to 20%, while for teachers they went from 16.5% to 21%.
The assistance contribution of 5.5% in all cases was raised to 7%.
The employer contributions paid by the Executive, for their part, will remain 20% for the retirement fund and 9% for social work.
Governor Rolando Figueroa said that the measure granted self-financing of the ISSN so as not to depend on special contributions from the Executive Branch and much less resort to the countercyclical fund whose purpose was distorted.
Zapala’s model building
In last year’s report, the ISSN authorities highlighted that one of the most notable events in terms of infrastructure development was the inauguration and start-up of the new Zapala delegation. It is the second most important headquarters of provincial social work, after the Central Headquarters in the city of Neuquén. It had started in February 2020 but the work plan had to be modified due to the Covid-19 pandemic. allows the decentralization of all
procedures that members carry out at the Institute and thus generate better accessibility conditions.
During the course of the year, workers’ contributions increased in the corresponding proportion (as a result of the salary increases agreed for 2023) and the same fate befell the membership fees of adherent members who,
Starting from Resolution No. 173 approved by the Board of Directors in May 2023, it established the update automatically and quarterly, according to the CPI coefficient.
The document also revealed that affiliative reciprocity was launched
starting from the signing of the agreement (by the majority of the social works attached to the national council) to develop its own software. The system has already been awarded to the development company, through an agreement. With this, it will be possible to provide coverage to the more than seven million beneficiaries throughout the country when they are outside their province of origin, without having to carry out specific procedures, quickly and online; thus responding to a problem shared by all jurisdictions without too much bureaucracy.
