The pension system is one of the main factors that will determine Lithuania’s economic competitiveness and Lithuanians’ social welfare in the future. In 2007 the initial stage of the Lithuanian pension reform ended with the system’s partial privatization when the share of social security contribution that can be voluntarily directed to private pension funds reached 5.5 percent out of the total of 34 percent. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s closest neighbours Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Slovakia chose a higher share to be transferred to private pension funds. Participants of the seminar will discuss the possibility and the need to increase this share and potential financial costs of such a reform. 

 

The goal of the seminar is to evaluate the results of the already launched pension reform and to discuss future scenarios of the continuation of this reform.

 

LFMI is glad to present Martin Chren, a social policy analyst from Slovakia, as one of the speakers of the event who will share Slovakia’s experience in conducting pension reform. Currently, Mr. Chren is the Executive Director at the F.A. Hayek Foundation. Prior to this, he was a member of the pension reform team at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. He also has experience as a journalist, has been active in civil society and was Secretary General of the Slovak Taxpayers Association. Chren holds an MA in Economics from the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia.

 

Participants of this event will include politicians, business people, representatives of related government institutions and media.

 

Participants will be allowed to enter the building of the Parliament strictly according to a list pf registered participants. For this reason, please inform us about your participation no later than 16 March 2007 by telephone (8~5) 252 62 55 or by e-mail: geruta@freema.org. We would also like to inform you that you must have your passport at the entrance to the Parliament.

 

AGENDA

 

Moderator - Guoda Steponavičienė, Vice President, Lithuanian Free Market Institute
8:45 – 9:00	Coffee – registration
I. Does Lithuania Need to Continue Reforming its Pension System?
9:00 – 9:10	Welcoming address Algirdas Sysas, Member, Parliament of Lithuania Remigijus Šimašius, President, Lithuanian Free Market Institute
9:10 – 9:30	Lithuania’s Current Pension System in the Light of its Demographic Prospects Audronė Morkūnienė, Secretary, Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (t.b.c.)
	Comments:
9:30 – 9:40	Algirdas Sysas, Member, Parliament of Lithuania
9:40 – 9:50	Virgilijus Poderys, Advisor to Prime Minister of Lithuania
9:50 - 10:00	Mindaugas Vaičiulis, President, Association of Financial Analysts
10:00 – 10:15	Coffee break
II. Pursuing Pension Reform in Lithuania: Financial Possibilities
10:15 - 10:35	Pension System Reform in Slovakia: Keys to Success Martin Chren, Social Policy analyst, Slovakia, Executive Director F. A. Hayek Foundation
10:35 - 10:55	Pension Reform in Lithuania Must be Continued Without Delay Ignas Brazauskas, Policy Analyst, Lithuanian Free Market Institute
	Comments:
10:55 - 11:05	Rimantas Šadžius, Vice Minister, Ministry of Finance
11:05 - 11:15	Gintaras Steponavičius, Member, Parliament of Lithuania
11:15 - 11:25	Leonidas Jelenskis, Member, Lithuanian Securities Commission
11:25 - 11:55	Questions & answers
11:55 – 12:00	Closing remarks