Development of Social Security in Lao PDR

The government of Lao PDR adopted Decree 207/PM on 23 December 1999 providing mandatory social security coverage to workers employed in private and state – owned enterprises. It called for the creation of the Social Security organization, the SSO. The SSO began operating in June 2001. Delays to begin operations have been in incurred in the past due to the need to further the administrative capacities of the newly created SSO. This project has been designed to further develop SSO’s institutional capacities to better serve the population in Lao PDR. In parallel, the reform of social security for public servants is ensured through the capacity- building activities of the project for the social security department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. This reform has remained high on the government agenda as its financing is insufficient and in-dept reforms are called for. The project will provide technical assistance to the government in reforming the social security scheme for public servants with a view to its possible merger with the scheme for private enterprise workers under SSO. The project also aims to investigate ways to develop voluntary social insurance coverage through the SSO so as to provide as alternative approach to the Government for providing social protection to the population not covered by the SSO. This project comes as a direct continuity of the Fiorst phase Protection on Development of Social Security Financed by the UNDP and the Government of Belgium and implemented by the ILO under national execution.

Project symbol

LAO/01/01/LUX

Admin unit

DWT-Bangkok

Start date

01/01/2002

End date

31/10/2007

Total allocation

3020728

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

3020728

Development Partners

Luxembourg, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et européennes

Country/Countries

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Outcomes

Social Security