AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON STATE SOCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAKU 001656 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR SHAUN DONNELLY, BETSY HAFNER AND PAUL BURKHEAD NSC FOR MATT PALMER GENEVA FOR AMBASSADOR ALLGEIER TREASURY FOR CLAY LOWERY, NANCY LEE AND JEFF BAKER USDOC FOR U/S LAVIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD EPET PREL AJ SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S INTRODUCTORY CALL ON STATE SOCIAL PROTECTION FUND CHAIRMAN REF: (A) BAKU 1395 (B) BAKU 718 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANNE E. DERSE, PER REASON 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a November 6 meeting with Ambassador, the Chairman of the State Social Protection Fund (SPF) Salim Muslumov briefed the Ambassador on Azerbaijan's reformed pension system and the SPF's efforts to provide greater pension benefits to citizens from Azerbaijan's new oil wealth, as well as obtain additional contributions from all foreigners working in Azerbaijan. Muslumov told the Ambassador that one of President Aliyev's key goals is to ensure that by 2008 all of Azerbaijan's pensioners live above the poverty level and that retired Azerbaijanis' minimum monthly pension would increase to USD 75 per month by 2008. Muslumov recognized that the GOAJ could not give money from the country's oil wealth directly to the citizens, indicating that it would distort the macroeconomic environment and cause the "financial system to collapse." The new accounts linked to the Oil Fund would allow citizens to feel that they had their share of the country's oil wealth. The Ambassador requested from Muslumov the terms of reference required for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to begin reviewing possible technical assistance on the GOAJ's plans to link individual citizen pension retirement accounts at the SPF to the Oil Fund. Muslumov said that the TOR would be ready in several days and would be provided to the Embassy to forward to TDA. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of GOAJ remaining regionally competitive with respect to tax and social contribution rates if it wishes to attract foreign investment. Muslumov told the Ambassador that he would visit Washington in late November or early December to participate in a World Bank-sponsored event and would like to establish a dialogue with the U.S. Social Security Administration. We request Department's assistance in arranging meetings for Chairman Muslumov to the Social Security Administration and the Department of State. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Ambassador Derse called on State Social Protection Fund (SPF) Chairman Salim Muslumov November 6. Muslumov briefed the Ambassador on Azerbaijan's new social pension insurance system (begun officially on January 1, 2006) and the Social Protection Fund's efforts to reform and modernize Azerbaijan's pension system. Muslumov told the Ambassador that the SPF has broadened its international contacts, including to the U.S. Social Security Administration, and is now offering best practices and lessons learned to other countries that are reforming government pension systems. The SPF has been invited to present Azerbaijan's system at a World Bank sponsored conference in Washington in November. As another example, Muslumov cited a visit last week of a delegation from Lithuania that visited the SPF to review its system. The SPF has a total of 2,700 employees, with approximately 2,000 working outside of the capital in the regions. ¶3. (C) Muslumov told the Ambassador that one of President Aliyev's key goals is to ensure that by 2008 all of Azerbaijan's pensioners live above the poverty level. Currently, more than 643,000 of 1.8 million pensioners currently live below the poverty line. Muslumov stated that over the next two years, the minimum monthly pension for retired Azerbaijanis should increase to USD 75 per month, enabling all pensioners to live above the poverty level. Muslumov told the Ambassador that the pension accounts are annually indexed for inflation. By 2009, Muslumov said that individual pension information would be available to citizens via the Internet. (NOTE: For additional background on the State Social Protection Fund see REF B.) TDA AND SPF TERMS OF REFERENCE -------------- ¶4. (C) The Ambassador requested from Muslumov the Terms of Reference required for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to begin reviewing possible technical assistance on the BAKU 00001656 002 OF 003 GOAJ's plans to link individual citizen pension retirement accounts at the SPF to the Oil Fund (REF A). The State Protection Fund is leading the initiative, along with the Ministry of Finance and the Oil Fund. Muslumov reiterated that the SPF had USD 1 million to fund this initiative with the Oil Fund and that the TOR would be ready in several days and would be provided to the Embassy to forward to TDA. The Ambassador told Muslumov that TDA Director Thelma Askey planned to visit Azerbaijan in early 2007 and indicated that it would be good to organize a signing event during the visit. Embassy will follow-up with the Social Protection Fund regarding the TOR and forward any documentation to TDA. ¶5. (C) Muslumov told the Ambassador that with the aim of ensuring Azerbaijan's citizens receive their share of the country's new energy wealth, the GOAJ is considering creating two sub-retirement accounts for Azerbaijani nationals at the State Protection Fund. One pension account would accumulate social security contributions and the other "virtual" pension account would be linked to an account at the State Oil Fund. The goal was to have this system developed and implemented prior to the 2008 presidential elections. Muslumov highlighted that this new system would also be beneficial in controlling GOAJ access to Oil Fund assets, by allocating them to individual accounts while maintaining the money at the Oil Fund. Muslumov recognized that the GOAJ could not give money from the country's oil wealth directly to the citizens, indicating that it would distort the macroeconomic environment and cause the "financial system to collapse." The new accounts linked to the Oil Fund would allow citizens to feel that they had their share of the county's oil wealth. MORE FOREIGN WORKERS NEED TO PARTICIPATE -------------- ¶6. (C) Muslumov said that more than 20,000 foreigners work in Azerbaijan and that only 2,119 have registered with the SPF, including ten U.S. citizens, and are paying social security contributions. Most foreign workers registered with the SPF are from Turkey, Georgia and Russia. Muslumov highlighted that 80 percent of foreign workers in Azerbaijan work in the energy sector and that the GOAJ had not previously requested these employees participate in the national pension system. Muslumov stated that under the new pension system, the GOAJ expected that these workers would participate and that he was meeting with BP executives to negotiate a process in which foreign workers would also contribute to the SPF. He also added that these workers, upon retirement, would be able to access their retirement pension savings at the SPF from the country they lived in. Muslumov stressed the "portable" nature of the accounts. He asked for engagement with the U.S. Social Security Administration on structuring the relationship and procedures to facilitate this process. NEW PENSION SYSTEM HURTS REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) The Ambassador suggested to Muslumov that the GOAJ needed to develop incentives that increase the level of foreign direct investment and business development by both domestic and international companies and to consider Azerbaijan's regional competitiveness with respect to tax and social contribution rates. The Ambassador questioned whether Azerbaijan's 25 percent social security contribution level was higher than its neighbors and could make Azerbaijan less attractive for FDI. Muslumov stated that the Ministry of Finance and SPF are considering developing a "regressive" social contribution system in the future in which workers that are paid up to USD 5,000 would pay 22 percent and declining rates would apply to higher salaries typically paid to expatriate workers. ¶8. (C) Muslumov responded that he "was confident that Azerbaijan would remain competitive" with its Caspian Sea neighbors with the new pension system. He continued that companies would be able to classify any SPF contributions as BAKU 00001656 003 OF 003 "expenditures" and thereby reduce their corporate tax liability. Muslumov pointed to Kazakhstan's pension system, noting that workers pay more of the social tax than employers, in comparison to Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan, employees pay only three percent of the total 25 percent SPF contribution, leaving the company to pay the remaining 22 percent. In Kazakhstan, according to Muslumov, workers pay 10 percent, while companies pay 11 percent. The Ambassador highlighted that companies in Kazakhstan pay less in social contribution, making it more attractive to operate there. VISIT TO WASHINGTON AND COOPERATION WITH SSA -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Muslumov requested the Ambassador's assistance in enhancing and increasing the level of cooperation between the State Social Protection Fund and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He told the Ambassador that when he and his team visit Washington in late November early December to participate in the World Bank-sponsored event, he would like USG assistance in arranging meetings at the SSA and the Department of State. Embassy has alerted SSA's International Activities office to the request and asks that EUR/CARC follow-up. DERSE