Page 15 - Monaco Economy 131
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a liberal economy, there aren't many way   preserve the quality of Monegasque pensions   The Government has accepted my proposal to
          to increase employees' income. For their   at a replacement rate that is higher than the   stop adding to this fund, and I would draw on
          net income to increase, at equivalent cost,   European average. We are also confident   this reserve if it were necessary to supplement
          employers should revise their salaries to   about the Monegasque complementary   the financing of dependency care, which is the
          remain attractive in comparison to French   pension fund...              responsibility of the State budget.

                                                                                   What part of social policy is included in the
                                                                                   State budget?
                                                                                   The budget of the Social Welfare Office, which
                                                                                   finances all the State's social security will be
                                                                                   between 40 and 45 million euros by 2025, out
                                                                                   of a budget of 2 billion euros.

                                                                                   What lessons have you learnt from the
                                                                                   health crisis linked to the Covid epidemic,
                                                                                   particularly with regard to vital professions,
         © Direction de la communication                                           such as medical care personnel? Particularly
                                                                                   in view of the strain on staff.
                                                                                   In the first year of the Covid crisis, there was a
                                                                                   great deal of emotion about these professions,
                                                                                   which were at last rightly recognised. But as
           Forum de l’Emploi / Job Forum
                                                                                   memory is short, I have the feeling that
          and Italian competition. The 2  solution is to   The government is no longer talking about   France has gone back to the way things were
                                nd
          reduce charges, but these are already lower in   the financing of care for people who are   before, and that this positive feeling has been
          the Principality than in other countries, and I   dependent on others. What is the state of   erased by the discontent of healthcare system
          would remind you that social security payouts   play?                    users, who blame healthcare professionals,
          are financed by charges. There is no income   The development of home care has significantly   forgetting that they are not responsible for
          tax in Monaco and therefore no other source   reduced the need for retirement homes. Today,   this situation.
          of social contribution... The 3  solution is to   the people who need to be institutionalised   My appointment as Minister of Health and
                                rd
          set up a profit-sharing scheme for employees.   are those with profiles known as GIR 1 and   Social Affairs bears witness to the importance
          Some employers would be prepared to do this   2, who are totally dependent and who need   attached to health in the Principality. Health
          on condition that the redistribution is free   to be cared for in long-term care units (such   is priceless. As demonstrated by the Pasteur
          from charges. In my opinion, this is not a good   as CRIII) rather than in a nursing home (A   system that has been set up in Monaco, which
          thing, because the risk is that the part that is   qietudine, Cap Fleuri). At present, we have no   is more advantageous than what has been
          offloaded will increase more than the part of   shortage of nursing home beds, especially   done in France.
          the salaries that is taxed, resulting in a loss   as the Hector Otto Foundation was recently   The subsidy for the CHPG and its satellites,
          of resources for the social security funds and,   converted into a nursing home (80 beds). We   which is paid by the State, is around €40 million
          in the longer term, for the employees, with a   do, however, have a residual list of requests   a year, excluding investments.
          reduction in their pensions. If instead of having   for places in long-term care units.   As far as non-healthcare staff are concerned,
          100% of your income taxed, you only have 50%,   The results of the new actuarial study that   before the Covid crisis there was no more
          this means that your pension will be calculated   I have commissioned should be available   or less consideration or respect for these
          on half your income, not the whole! My role is   soon enough to confirm these findings. The   employees, who are nonetheless necessary
          to ensure that Monaco's advantageous pension   French healthcare sector is experiencing the   and essential to the functioning of all
          conditions are preserved for the future.  same phenomenon. The Rainier III Centre   activities... In some Latin countries, people
                                              will undoubtedly have to be upgraded to   are looked at in terms of their job, and if
          Speaking of the social model, are there any   increase its long-term care unit capacity,   that job is considered to be of little value,
          plans to reform the pension system?  rather than building the 3 residential care   people are not valued very highly. However,
          Nothing is envisaged at the moment, apart   homes recommended in the previous study.   in the Netherlands for example, people are
          from specific schemes. Of course, we will   One should suffice, perhaps on the grounds   grateful to a dustman for helping to keep
          have to keep a close eye on developments   of the former CHPG, once the new hospital is   their surroundings clean, and consider that
          in the general scheme and carry out regular   up and running. To the best of my knowledge,   every job, whether intellectual or manual,
          actuarial studies to assess its soundness.   there are no definite plans to build on these   is essential. As far as I'm concerned, when
          Without the 2012 law, the scheme would be in   sites.                    I was Head of Department at the Princess
          difficulty. Nevertheless, we will probably have   Financing dependency care is not a problem.   Grace Hospital, I considered that the cleaner
          to think about a reform in 10/15 years' time,   There is a dependency fund of €16 million,   who kept the ward clean was as essential as
          which will probably not be as major as the 2012   which more or less corresponds to the cost   the nurse who gave care or the doctor who
          reform. For me, the most important thing is to   of a full year's dependency care in Monaco.   operated.

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