"The improvement of the legislation on pension" is the topic of the roundtable meeting held by the Committee of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (parliament) for Legislation and Judicial and Legal Issues and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, the Senate press service informed.

The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, in his speech at the special meeting devoted to the 14th anniversary of the Constitution of Uzbekistan, said "… a legally supported system of social protection has already been formed in our country, and now proves its efficiency in practice. But, while noting on the achievements in this sphere, I should also admit to certain urgent issues and several problems that require solution. The life itself requires constant improvement in the legislation in this area."

The State Programme on "The Year of Social Protection" envisaged for the year 2007 reinforces the urgency and importance of tasks mentioned by the head of state.

At the meeting, it was specifically noted that in Uzbekistan the citizens’ constitutionally protected rights for social security are implemented in accordance with the Law of Uzbekistan "On state pension support of citizens". The law differentiates several types of state pension allowances, including retirement pension allowance, disability allowance, and allowance due to the loss of the family’s breadwinner.

As a result of the successfully implemented economic reforms, the appropriations from the state budget for this sphere of social security, including the payment of pensions, are increasing. Moreover, apart from the appropriations from the budget, every year the government adopts special resolutions on addressed aid for social protection and social support of single seniors, pensioners and people with disabilities.

Roundtable participants discussed in detail the analysis of the legal framework for state pension support, and the urgency of meeting the tasks of the State "Year of Social Protection" Program, the issues of further improvement of the said Law, and improvement from scientific perspective of the law on social protection.

Seminar participants paid specific attention to the need to improve certain provisions of the legislation on state pension support in view of the task to intensify the democratization and renewal of the society, reformation and modernization of the country.

Among the participants of the meeting were senators and members of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Supreme Court, the Higher Economic Court, the General Prosecutor’s Office, The Institute for Monitoring the Legislation under the President of Uzbekistan, as well as ministries and agencies concerned.