Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102) - Mauritania (Ratification: 1968)

Governance of the social security system. In a communication dated 22 August 2011, the General Confederation of Workers of Mauritania (CGTM) reports recurrent dysfunctions related to the operation of the social security system relating to the governance of the schemes that make up that system. The CGTM indicates that the Government has assumed the right to appoint the majority of the members of the deliberative body of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), which enables it to determine the policy to be followed, without even leaving the workers’ representatives a blocking minority. Frequently, in order to cover its needs, the State appropriates the assets of the pensions system and makes appointments to the posts of directors-general of the CNSS and of the National Sickness Insurance Fund (CNAM) as political favours to the detriment of the technical competence required to manage these institutions. The CGTM adds that the coverage of active workers is still very patchy due to the social fraud practised by most employers to avoid paying contributions through their practice of hiring labour through subsidiaries and only declaring a minority of their employees. The supervisory services of social insurance institutions are very limited and not operational in most cases. In view of all of the inadequacies indicated in its comments, the CGTM calls on the Government to undertake without delay a total reform of the CNSS, gathering together for that purpose the social partners as rapidly as possible, with a view to adapting it to the new realities of the development of the economic and social fabric and the new challenges that it has to face, with particular reference to ensuring its participatory management, protecting social security funds against bad management and the sustainable financing of social security.

In view of the gravity of the allegations, the Committee requests the Government to reply in detail, in the light of Articles 71 and 72 of the Convention. Please also provide: copies of the latest annual reports on the management and activities of the CNSS; relevant extracts from the reports of the inspection and supervisory services relating to the issues referred to above; and a copy of the latest actuarial study of the social security system in Mauritania. The Government is also requested to indicate any measures adopted to promote exchanges of information between the fiscal authorities and social security institutions with a view to improving the management of the social security system and establishing a policy to combat social fraud, undeclared work and fraud in the payment of social security contributions. Finally, with regard to the calls made by the CGTM to open up a national debate on the future of social security, the Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report the effect given to the calls made by the social partners for consultations.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2013.]