Book Publications

Pension administration currently faces many challenges. First, certain population groups such as the self-employed, atypical workers, the unemployed, migrant workers and workers in small businesses present specific administrative difficulties to social security institutions, in terms of contribution collection, enforcement of compliance, and combating contribution evasion. Second, there is considerable need for debate on current innovations in ICT and their impact on the organization of pension administration. Third, information management and data quality are of utmost importance not only to ensure appropriate financial flows and correct benefit payments, but also to maintain the social legitimacy of pension schemes and social security administrations. Fourth, growing demands on customer-oriented services, the increased need to legitimize and inform the public on pension programs as well as the development of new communication technologies have created new pressures and opportunities. In this book, experts discuss the appropriateness and effectiveness of using public policy to influence fertility decisions. Contributors discuss the general feasibility of public interventions in the area of fertility, analyze fertility patterns and policy design in such countries as Japan, South Korea, China, Sweden, and France, and offer theoretical analyses of parental fertility choices that provide an overview of a broad array of child-related policy instruments in a number of OECD and EU countries.

Taken together, new developments in the area of ICT, socio-economic changes, and new client needs require pension administrations to take a proactive approach in order to anticipate future administrative challenges and prepare solutions for them. Yet, generally speaking, academic circles have paid insufficient attention to the implementation issues raised by these major developments.

This volume is devoted to addressing priority challenges in pension administration. It presents a basic framework for better pension implementation by demonstrating five core requirements for a viable pension system, identifying several basic key elements in any effective system for collecting social security contributions. It also contains reports on selected countries, including Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, and attempts to clarify future administrative challenges. Through in-depth discussions on national experiences, good practice and lessons learnt, this volume provides useful and insightful details on innovations and solutions currently applied in a variety of countries.

Book Review

In 2050, world population growth is predicted to come almost to a halt. Shortly thereafter it may well start to shrink. A major reason behind this shift is the fertility decline that has taken place in many developed countries. In this book, experts discuss the appropriateness and effectiveness of using public policy to influence fertility decisions. Contributors discuss the general feasibility of public interventions in the area of fertility, analyze fertility patterns and policy design in such countries as Japan, South Korea, China, Sweden, and France, and offer theoretical analyses of parental fertility choices that provide an overview of a broad array of child-related policy instruments in a number of OECD and EU countries.

CONTRIBUTORS: Gunnar Andersson, Reiko Aoki, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, Jonathan Bradshaw, Yoonyoung Cho, Alessandro Cigno, Tamotsu Kadoda, Yoko Konishi, Seiritsu Ogura, Xizhe Peng, Warren Sanderson, Noriyuki Takayama, Olivier Thevenon, and Martin Werding

Book Review

In high-income countries, the percent of the population covered under mandatory old-age pension programs is typically high but often incomplete; in low- and middle-income countries, coverage is low and even stagnant. At the same time, older people are less able to rely on family and community support as a result of growing urbanization and migration. And low-income workers and the poor simply cannot save enough to prepare for their old age. As a response, many countries are considering or have already implemented various forms of retirement income transfers aiming to guarantee a minimum level of income during old age. Despite the growing popularity of these programs, research assessing their success has been limited.

Closing the Coverage Gap: The Role of Social Pensions and Other Retirement Income Transfers brings together a group of renowned academics, policy analysts, and policy makers working in the area of pensions and public policy. They discuss how social pensions and other retirement income transfers can be used to close the coverage gap of mandatory pension systems: how they operate, when they can be appropriate, and how to make them work. The book reviews the experiences of low-, middle-, and high-income countries with the design and implementation of retirement income transfers. The book analyzes design issues related to financing, incentives, targeting mechanisms, and administration, and also identifies the role of promising instruments such as matching contributions to reach parts of the informal sector.