(FINACTU) - By decreeing the promulgation of « Law N° 028/2016 on the Code of Social Security in the Gabonese Republic » on February 6, 2017, the President of the Republic materializes two years of a collective effort to which FINACTU is pleased to have been a dynamic player.

This new Code replaces a version, which dates from 1975.

The idea of a new Code saw the light and then flourished during various missions of FINACTU : first, with the creation of the CNAMGS, on which FINACTU worked from 2007 to 2010, and for which a whole new part of the Gabonese social security was created outside the 1975 Code. Then, on the occasion of various actuarial studies carried out for the CNSS, which by removing its schemes from the legislative field, wanted to alleviate their parameters’ review process. Finally, on the recent occasion of the creation of the Pension and Family Benefits Fund, aimed to house the social security of Gabonese officials.

In 173 articles, the new Code is ‘sanitizing’ the Gabonese social welfare system and injecting a formidable ambition therein.
As underligned by Jean-Claude ANGOULVANT, FINACTU Mission Director, who was involved in the texts preparation, this sanitation process was needed because « The new Code finally consolidates into a single law a disparate set of texts, that were written as early as in 1975 and, on this occasion, it sets a new priorization and ordering. The new Code sets out precisely the social risks (Art. 5), and clearly distinguishes the existing social security schemes (currently managed by CNSS, CNAMGS and CPPF) and those yet to be created: supplementary health insurance, mobile and independent workers' schemes, and unemployment insurance schemes. »

More importantly though, the new Code enshrines what Denis CHEMILLIER- GENDREAU, President of FINACTU, calls « the new Gabonese social ambitions » : « The new Code paves the way for two extensions, just as is currently the case for CNPS in Ivory Coast : an extension of social protection to self-employed workers, who are currently not covered by pension schemes, and an extension to new original schemes (supplementary funded pension and unemployment insurance). These innovations will undoubtedly be scrutinized by the other CIPRES countries and will have a ripple effect! »