At the opening of the 2nd annual labor conference hosted by the digital newspaper Eco, the Minister Maria do Rosário Ramalho highlighted several changes being implemented as part of the digital transformation program titled “Primeiro Pessoas”.
Among the measures that have successfully reduced in-person visits to Social Security offices is the extension of the payment guide validity from three to five days, along with a diversification of payment methods.
This diversification is set to progress further in July when payments via MBWay will become possible, the minister noted, emphasizing that despite a reduction of 450,000 visits from January to April 20, more than 60% of Social Security interactions remain face-to-face.
Addressing an audience of labor law experts, business leaders, and representatives from employer and union federations, Maria do Rosário Ramalho reviewed the efforts undertaken over the past 11 months, underlining that the current government has “restored the centrality of dialogue in Social Concertation”.
Within this framework, she mentioned that any labor law changes must be agreed upon with social partners, acknowledging, however, that the government emerging from the May 18 elections will decide “whether to continue this line of work”.
Maria do Rosário Ramalho stated that while it’s essential to gradually increase the national minimum wage, it’s also crucial to establish a path that enhances all salaries and prevents the flattening of the average wage.
Regarding Social Security, after affirming that “there is no doubt that Social Security is in a good place today”, she emphasized the need to consider the system’s long-term sustainability and the trajectory of pensions, given forecasts pointing to a future reduction in the replacement rate.
“This is not to alarm,” she stated, but “to ensure that in the future everyone will have an adequate pension”.
