#Autumn Life Punch Season ##秋日里的社会观察#
With the deepening of the aging of the mainland population, the pension system is facing greater pressure and challenges. It is estimated that by 2030, China's elderly population over 60 years old will reach about 400 million, accounting for more than 25% of the total population. This means that every working person should provide a pension for three retirees. At present, the contribution rate of the basic endowment insurance system in the mainland is generally high, with an average of 28%, which has brought a heavy burden to enterprises and individuals.
At the same time, the sustainability of pensions is threatened by the imbalance in pension income and expenditure. It is estimated that China's pension gap will reach nearly 9 trillion yuan by 2020 and more than 300 trillion yuan by 2050. If it is not reformed in time, the payment of pensions will face difficulties.
One or two stories can see the shortcomings of the pension system
Mr. Wang, 65, retired as a middle-level cadre in a state-owned enterprise. His monthly pension reached 10,000 yuan, which was higher than his salary when he was working. He lives in a commercial house in downtown Beijing and receives a lot of subsidies from his children every year. He said he was a lucky generation that enjoyed the generosity of the state and society.
Compared with Mr. Wang, Miss Li is not so lucky. She is 30 years old and an ordinary employee of a private company. She works more than 10 hours a month, but only gets about 5,000 yuan. She rented a cottage on the outskirts of Beijing and spent nearly half of her monthly income. She said she was a helpless generation, bearing a heavy burden on the country and society.
Mr. Wang and Ms. Li are two typical representatives of China's current pension system. The huge gap between them reflects the serious problems in China's pension system. According to statistics, in 2018, there were about 800 million employed and 250 million retirees in China, of which about 80 million retirees enjoyed high pension benefits.
These people make up one third of the country's retirees, but they receive pensions that account for more than 40 per cent of the country's financial expenditure. This unfair and unreasonable distribution has led to a widening income gap between working people and retirees, urban and rural residents, different regions and different industries.
Second, how to reform the pension system?
On the one hand, we can learn from international experience and establish a multi-level and multi-pillar pension system. At present, the mature pension system in the world generally includes three pillars: the first pillar is the basic endowment insurance system led by the government, which mainly has social security and redistribution functions; The second pillar is the unit-led occupational pension system, which mainly has the functions of saving and investment;
The third pillar is the individual-led individual pension system, which mainly has supplementary and self-help functions. These three pillars complement and balance each other, which can not only ensure the basic level of pensions, but also increase the replacement rate of pensions, not only diversify risks, but also stimulate vitality.
On the other hand, the design and operation mode of the pension system can be innovated according to its own national conditions. First of all, improve the basic endowment insurance system and realize the overall planning and system unification of the state. At present, the basic endowment insurance system in the mainland has problems such as urban-rural differences, regional differences, and industry differences, resulting in unfairness in the insured, payment standards, treatment levels and other aspects.
In order to eliminate these differences, it is necessary to establish national unified payment base, payment ratio, treatment standards and other rules, gradually expand the scope of the overall plan, and realize cross-provincial medical care, transfer settlement and other facilitation measures.
Second, it is necessary to develop an occupational pension system and increase the enthusiasm of enterprises and individuals to participate. At present, the coverage of the mainland occupational pension system is small and the participation is low. In order to expand coverage and participation, it is necessary to strengthen policy advocacy and guidance, and give enterprises and individuals certain tax incentives and subsidies.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision and management of occupational pensions, standardize the investment operation and information disclosure of occupational pensions, and prevent the risks and losses of occupational pensions. Finally, it is necessary to promote the individual pension system and cultivate personal savings and investment habits.
At present, the mainland individual pension system has just started and has not yet formed a scale effect. In order to promote the development of the individual pension system, it is necessary to further improve relevant laws, regulations and policy measures, and provide a convenient and efficient service platform with the help of the Internet and other technical means. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the education and training of individual investors to improve their financial knowledge and risk awareness.
Of course, reforming the pension system is not easy, nor is it a task that can be accomplished overnight. It involves extensive and complex alignment and coordination of interests, which requires full consideration of the needs and impacts of all parties.
For example, how to balance the interests of active and retired personnel, how to balance the interests of urban and rural residents, how to balance the interests of different regions and industries, how to balance the role of the government and the market, and how to balance the relationship between stability and innovation. These issues require scientific and reasonable plans and measures through in-depth research and extensive negotiations to avoid social discontent and resistance.
Conclusion The pension system is not only a major issue related to the future of the country and the country, but also a major issue related to the happy life of everyone. Reforming the pension system is not only a necessary option, but also an urgent task. Promote the reform of the pension system and lay a solid foundation for the realization of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Can the mainland achieve a fair and sustainable pension system?