154th mBank-CASE Seminar: The Polish Pension System: Where We Are, and What’s Next
mBank and CASE – Center for Social and Economic Research
cordially invite you to
the 154th mBank – CASE Seminar
The Polish Pension System: Where We Are, and What's Next
Keynote speaker:
Prof. Marek Góra
The seminar will take place on February 15th, 2017 at 3:00 pm
at mBank S.A. head office, Senatorska 18, room 5.3, 5th floor, Warsaw.
Please RSVP online: LINK or via email: aleksandra.polak@case-research.eu
About the seminar:
We will soon mark the 20th anniversary of the introduction of Poland’s current universal retirement system, so it’s worth summing up this period. On the one hand, over these two decades the system has been subjected to constant modifications, generally dictated by ideological or short-term goals. On the other hand, it has resisted destruction and in essence is working as it was designed. The need to replace the system was dictated by constant changes in the age structure of the population. The essence of this replacement was a transition from a quasi-tax to a quasi-savings financing model. The most dangerous modification may be the removal of the 30-times limit on contributions. The purpose of introducing the current system was a balancing of the interests of the working generation with those of the retired generation: the previous one only achieved the interests of retirees. The greatest enemy is low awareness of how the system is actually structured. Instead of such awareness, there are chaotic assumptions that are often far from reality. That’s why it’s worth recalling how the system is structured, what its essence is, what must absolutely be defended and what are secondary issues. In essence, the system is quite simple. This provides the opportunity for transparency and comprehensibility – so important in times when the demographic dividend, which earlier supplied known additional funds for financing spending, became negative.
Prof. Marek Góra is a full professor at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), where he previously got his Ph.D. and habilitation. He has been lecturing and conducting research at SGH since 1984. Currently, Marek Góra teaches macroeconomics, pension economics, and labour economics, health economics and economic policy for graduate and Ph.D. students. Previously, he also taught econometrics and economic forecasting. He is also a visiting professor at the College of Europe (Natolin).
During his academic carrier, Marek Góra completed research at the London School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich. Marek Góra is an author of various articles in the fields of pension economics, labour economics, unemployment, labour market policies, and macro and microeconomic problems of the transition in Central and Eastern Europe. Marek Góra also worked with the Directorate for Education Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD (1992-1993). He was Executive Committee member of the European Association of Labour Economists (1990-1997).
Marek Góra is the co-author of the design of the Polish pension reform called „Security through Diversity” and the leader of a team of experts who worked on the reform. He also was (until closing down) the Director of the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Social Security Reform. Marek Góra keeps working on the Polish reform and at the same time is also involved in pension reform activities in various countries. Together with a number of researchers dealing with pension issues he established the Polish Pension Group – a research platform for various types of co-operation.
Language of the seminar: Polish
Photo: 401(K) 2012, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
