The recent bill aimed at modifying and supplementing the social security system for parliamentarians in the Democratic Republic of Congo was declared admissible by national deputies. This proposal, initiated by MP Faustin Toengaho, aims to resolve the problems that Congolese parliamentarians face, particularly with regard to their precarious life at the end of their mandate.
The parliamentarians’ first social security law already faced weaknesses, despite the improvements made by subsequent laws. In particular, problems persisted regarding the calculation of the retirement pension, the increase in the number of pension beneficiaries and the payment of compensation by the Public Treasury.
The bill aims to address these issues by introducing new provisions that protect current or retired parliamentarians and comply with universal, African and national social security standards. It modifies several articles of the existing law and repeals previous and contrary provisions.
The debate around this bill focused on the article relating to the retirement age, which could be revised. MEPs referred the proposal to the Social and Cultural Committee for further examination, which must be carried out within 72 hours.
Once adopted, this law could considerably improve the social security of Congolese parliamentarians and guarantee better social protection for their lives after their mandate. It remains to be seen what specific changes will be made to the existing law and the concrete impacts of these changes on the lives of parliamentarians.
In conclusion, this bill demonstrates the Congolese government’s desire to improve the living conditions of parliamentarians and guarantee their social security. This is a positive development, which aims to align the social security regime of parliamentarians with international standards and provide adequate protection to these political representatives.