Attending from the meeting’s host site in Indonesia: Anggoro Eko Cahyo, General Director of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan; Indonesian Minister of Human Resource. Attending from the site of ASSA chairman 2020-2021 in Campuchia: Heng Sophannarith – Acting General Director of National Security Fund of the Kingdom of Cambodia (NSSF). The representatives from ISSA’s site and WB’s site attend.

Illustrative image (VSS)

At the site of Hanoi, Vietnam’s representatives are VSS’ Deputy General Director Dao Viet Anh, Directors of VSS’ units . Representatives of social security of provinces, cities and external information officials also attended the meeting.

Intertwin

Having a welcome speech, General Director of BPJS Anggoro Eko Cahyo showed his pleasure on hosting ASSA 38^th Board Meeting. Although the meeting has been held online due to Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting still shows the firm connection of ASSA member institutions and is valuable occasion to share experience among the countries.

According to Anggoro Eko Cahyo, for passing 2 years, Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global and regional economics, society, health and made countries to implement measures on limitting transportation, social distancing. In this context, social security policies play an imprtant role in protecting, supporting, ensuring people’s life and income. Beside the difficulties and challenges, the epidemic is the chance for social security institutions to finalize, develop, build services better and better.

Therefore, through this meeting, ASSA members have chance to research pandemic situation in the region, especially study experience, find cooperation measures, discuss to promote social security better in each country.

Speaking at the ceremony, Heng Sophannarith - Acting General Director of NSSF told that it is the second time that the ASSA board meeting has been held via online form. As an important event, the meeting is necessary for member institutions to maintain firm cooperation, jointly share social security problems during Covid-19 pandemic, enhance cooperation opportunity in the face of challenges that never happenned before. He also hopes that Covid-19 pandemic shall be early controlled for countries to recover and for ASSA members to meet and directly exchange.

He evaluates that the pandemic has been affecting directly life, all countries’ economy-scociety. This affection shall prolong even when the countries return the new normal situation. This requires each of countries’ social security system to promote more their role. Besides, digital transformation trend also requires the adjustment on social security policies to enhance efficiency, access, support participants, beneficiaries better. Therefore, through the meeting, he hopes that the member institutions shall share knowledge, experience on implementing social security during the pandemic and digital tranformation, IT application in developing social security system suitable for each of countries.

Measures on guaranteeing social security during the pandemic found

After the ceremony, the meeting starts Session I under the theme “Covid-19 and economic uncertainties: Impact and Policy Responses” with the discussion: Covid-19 and the rise of adaptive social protection from the representatives of WB in Indonesia; the impact of Covid-19 on Employment: Designing Indonesia’s Economic Recovery Strategy from the representatives of Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development and Planning…

Session II: Digital solutions for social protection with the discussions: New ICT paradigms driving digital transformation; Innovation on delivery social protection Singapore; Innovation on delivery social protection Malaysia; Innovation on delivery social protection Indonesia…

ASSA was established in 1998 in order to help member institutions to exchange viewpoint and experiences on implementing social security policies. Passing 20 years of foundation and development, ASSA has attained a lot of outstanding acheivement, especially creating chance for the member institutions to cooperate and develop. Currently, ASSA has 21 member institutions from 10 ASEAN countries.

Since established, with the goal of developing social security in region suitable for the desire, law and regulation of member countries, ASSA intends to the cooperation on all activities as well as exchanging experiences, information on social security among member institutions and other insitutions in the world through education, conference, consultation, dialouge and other activities. Accordingly, passing 38 board meetings, ASSA perfectly completed targets.

VSS Digital Portal shall update Meeting’s information.