Equatorial Guinea

Old Age, Disability, and Survivors

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1947.

Current law: 1984, implemented in 1990.

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons, including civil servants and military personnel.

Exclusions: Self-employed persons.

Source of Funds

Insured person: 4.5% of gross earnings.

The insured person's contributions also finance sickness and maternity benefits, work injury benefits, and family allowances.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: 21.5% of gross payroll.

The employer's contributions also finance sickness and maternity benefits, work injury benefits, and family allowances.

Government: At least 25% of annual social security receipts.

Government contributions also finance sickness and maternity benefits, work injury benefits, and family allowances.

Qualifying Conditions

Old-age pension: Age 60 with at least 120 months of contributions, including at least 60 months in the 10 years before retirement.

The required contribution period is reduced for public officials and military personnel who were between ages 50 and 60 when the law was implemented.

Disability pension: The insured must be assessed with a substantial inability to perform all types of work or a total inability to perform usual work with at least 60 consecutive months of contributions immediately before the disability began.

Constant-attendance allowance: Paid if the insured requires the constant attendance of others to perform daily functions.

Survivor pension: The deceased had at least 60 months of contributions or was a pensioner at the time of death.

Eligible survivors are a widow aged 30 or older, disabled, or rearing children; a dependent, disabled widower; and children up to age 14 (no limit if a student or disabled). In the absence of other survivors, dependent parents including the spouse's parents aged 60 or older or disabled.

Funeral allowance: Paid for the death of the insured.

Old-Age Benefits

Old-age pension: The pension is equal to 40% of the insured's average monthly earnings in the last 2 years plus 2% of average monthly earnings for each year of contributions exceeding 10 years.

The maximum pension is equal to 80% of the insured's average monthly earnings.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted every 5 years.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Disability pension: If the insured is assessed with a total disability and incapacity for any work, the pension is equal to 40% of the insured's average monthly earnings in the last 2 years; the pension is limited to 6 months if the insured is capable of alternative work.

Constant-attendance allowance: 40% of the insured's average monthly earnings in the last 2 years is paid.

Partial disability: If unable to perform usual work, 40% of the insured's average monthly earnings in the last 2 years is paid for a maximum of 3 months.

Benefits can be suspended if the insured fails to attend requested medical examinations.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted every 5 years.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor pension: The pension is equal to 40% of the deceased's average earnings; if the deceased was a pensioner, the survivor pension is equal to 80% of the deceased's pension.

A childless widow younger than age 30 receives a pension for up to 24 months only.

The pension ceases on remarriage.

Orphan's pension: All orphans' pensions combined are equal to 20% of the deceased's earnings; 40% for full orphans and for half orphans if the widow's pension ceases.

Dependent parent's pension (in the absence of other survivors): The pension is equal to 40% of the deceased's earnings; if the deceased was a pensioner, the benefit is equal to 80% of the deceased's pension.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted every 5 years.

Funeral grant: 2 months of the deceased's earnings is paid.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Women's Welfare provides supervision.

Social Security Institute (http://www.inseso.org) administers the program.

Sickness and Maternity

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1947.

Current law: 1984, implemented in 1990.

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons, including civil servants and military personnel; the insured's family members; pensioners; and persons with disabilities.

Exclusions: Self-employed persons.

Source of Funds

Insured person: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Government: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Qualifying Conditions

Cash sickness and maternity benefits: The insured must have contributed during the last 12 months.

Medical benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period.

Sickness and Maternity Benefits

Sickness benefit: The benefit is equal to 50% of the insured's daily wage. The benefit is paid after a 3-day waiting period for up to 26 weeks; may be extended under certain conditions.

Maternity benefit: The benefit is equal to 75% of the insured's daily wage and is paid for 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after the expected date of childbirth.

A lump sum equal to 2 months of wages is paid if the insured does not satisfy the contributions qualifying condition for the maternity benefit.

Workers' Medical Benefits

Benefits include medical care for up to 26 weeks, according to the schedule in law.

Cost sharing: The insured pays 25% of the cost of medical care and 50% of the cost of medicine; medicines during hospitalization, pregnancy, and the postnatal period are free.

Dependents' Medical Benefits

Benefits include medical care for up to 26 weeks, according to the schedule in law.

Cost sharing: Dependents pay 25% of the cost of medical care and 50% of the cost of medicine; medicines during hospitalization, pregnancy, and the postnatal period are free.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Women's Welfare provides supervision.

Social Security Institute (http://www.inseso.org) administers the system.

Work Injury

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1947.

Current law: 1984, implemented in 1990.

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons, including civil servants and military personnel.

Exclusions: Self-employed persons.

Source of Funds

Insured person: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Government: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Qualifying Conditions

Work injury benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period.

Temporary Disability Benefits

The benefit is equal to 50% of the insured's daily wage and is paid after a 3-day waiting period for up to 26 weeks; may be extended under certain conditions.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Permanent disability pension: If the insured is assessed with a total disability and incapacity for any work, the pension is equal to 50% of the insured's earnings; the pension is limited to 48 months if the insured is capable of alternative work.

Partial disability: If unable to perform usual work, 50% of the insured's earnings is paid; the pension is limited to 24 months if the insured is capable of alternative work.

Constant-attendance allowance: If the insured requires the constant attendance of others to perform daily functions, 50% of earnings is paid.

Benefits can be suspended if the insured fails to attend requested medical examinations.

The work injury permanent disability pension cannot be paid with the old-age pension.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted every 5 years.

Workers' Medical Benefits

Benefits include free medical care, hospitalization, and medicines.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor pension: A widow(er) receives 50% of the deceased's earnings; if the deceased was a pensioner, the pension is equal to 80% of the deceased's pension.

Eligible survivors are a widow aged 30 or older, disabled, or rearing children and a dependent, disabled widower.

A childless widow younger than age 30 receives a pension for 24 months only.

The pension ceases on remarriage.

Orphan's pension: All orphans' pensions combined are equal to 20% of the deceased's earnings; 40% for full orphans and for half orphans if the widow's pension ceases.

Eligible orphans are children up to age 14 (no limit if a student or disabled).

Dependent parent's pension (in the absence of other survivors): The pension is equal to 40% of the deceased's earnings; if the deceased was a pensioner, the pension is equal to 80% of the deceased's pension.

Eligible parents include the spouse's parents aged 60 or older or disabled.

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted every 5 years.

Funeral grant: Equal to 2 months of the deceased's earnings.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Women's Welfare provides supervision.

Social Security Institute (http://www.inseso.org) administers the program.

Family Allowances

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1950.

Current law: 1984, implemented in 1990.

Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons, including civil servants and military personnel.

Exclusions: Self-employed persons.

Source of Funds

Insured person: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Government: See source of funds under Old Age, Disability, and Survivors, above.

Qualifying Conditions

Family allowances: The insured must be married, a widow with children, or single with natural children. Dependent relatives who are younger than age 14, a student, or disabled may also qualify.

Family Allowance Benefits

Family allowances: Benefits are determined according to a family point system set by law.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Women's Welfare provides supervision.

Social Security Institute (http://www.inseso.org) administers the program through the Family Fund.