Future social security will be built through long-term and open discussion
A comprehensive social security reform to be launched in spring 2020 is one of the major reform projects of this decade in Finland.
“The best way to achieve a common understanding of a sustainable model for the future is to increase awareness and knowledge of social security throughout our society. I therefore hope that the reform process will generate a debate, both within and outside a parliamentary social security committee, on the choices and principles of social security”, says Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Social Affairs and Health. ”Partial reforms will be carried out in stages during this parliamentary term, but the actual aim and focus will be on social security for Finns in the next decade.”
A parliamentary committee will work on the reform for a period of two parliamentary terms
A parliamentary committee will be set up for the preparation of the social security reform. The committee will work for a period of two parliamentary terms. One Member of Parliament from each political party shall be appointed as members of the committee. In addition, a deputy member will be appointed for each member. The committee will also include experts from third-sector operators, institutions and various ministries. The committee's divisions will support its work. The committee may, for example, commission reports on social security problems from the divisions. The committee will report on its work to a ministerial monitoring group, but does not act under its direction.
“The committee's first task will be to find a sufficient consensus on the current state of social security and on the problems to be solved. We have not yet made such a description in Finland.
We can create a common understanding by familiarising ourselves with the facts, highlighting different perspectives and discussing conflicts in a constructive manner. Only when a sufficient consensus has been reached will it be possible to create a long-term roadmap and build social security for the future. There are no shortcuts to the solutions, which is why two parliamentary terms have been reserved for the reform,” says Pasi Moisio, future Chair of the Social Security Committee.
Minister Aino-Kaisa Pekonen’s media event on the social security reform was held on Friday, 14 February 2020. Recording of the event's webcast (in Finnish):
Inquiries:
Tuulia Nieminen, Communications Specialist, tel. +358 295 163 635
Kirsi Varhila, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 295 163 338 (Please, send interview requests by SMS)
Liisa Siika-aho, Director, tel. +358 295 163 085
Pasi Moisio, Research Professor, tel. +358 29 524 7228, [email protected]
Juho Orjala, Special Adviser, tel. 0295163424
Email addresses are in the format [email protected], except for Pasi Moisio