Draft law of social insurance draws wide debate

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-02-19 22:38

"There are a lot of migrant workers like me. It's OK now since I am still young, but I do worry about the future. I definitely hope the law could help us have insurance, like pension and medical insurance," she said.

To address the concerns of migrant workers, the social insurance draft law allows Chinese citizens to pay pension premiums in one place and draw money in another, if they migrate to other cities or provinces. This stipulation is particularly significant as the country has a much more mobile population than in the past.

The draft also determined that a new rural medical system, in which farmers and governments raise funds together, would be included in the medical insurance plan.

Meanwhile, governments will cover medical insurance expenses for citizens who live on low-income subsidies, have serious disabilities or are older than 60 years, the draft said.

The draft also highlights more efficient fund management. Governments at municipal, provincial and the state-level should encourage and support the public's participation in supervising insurance funds. Any individual or organization has a right to complain or report illegalities.

Many netizens agreed that the law will be a "blessing" to many people once it was adopted, especially to low-income groups.

"Many migrant workers, laid off workers and unemployed people don't have any insurance. I think government should increase investment and put them under the safety net to build a harmonious and stable society," one netizen wrote.

But not all feedback was positive. Some people complained the draft was too general.

"Articles in the draft are too simple and authorize too much power to the local government," Tan Zhongxiao from central Hunan Province wrote on the NPC website. "Social insurance law has a direct bearing on everyone. I think the law should be more specific so that there will be no problem when being implemented in the future."

The draft will be further revised based on the public's proposals before it is passed on to lawmakers for the third reading later this year, according to the Commission for Legislative Affairs.

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