The national conference "NOSI – 25 years of social responsibility" featured a panel discussion on "Major challenges in social protection", focusing on the sustainability of the public pension system, strengthening compliance with contribution payments, and improving the adequacy of pensions in the Republic of Moldova.

The panel was moderated by Elena Țîbîrnă, General Director of the National Office of Social Insurance, who emphasized that the public pension system is one of the fundamental pillars of social protection and social stability, and that demographic challenges, labor migration, and economic changes require tailored solutions to maintain the long-term balance of the system.

🔹 Sergiu Sainciuc, Vice-President of the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova, highlighted the role of decent work and social dialogue in strengthening the pension system, emphasizing the impact of undeclared work on social rights and the long-term sustainability of the system.

🔹 Markus Ruck, social protection specialist at the International Labor Organization Office for Central and Eastern Europe, noted that a strong public pension system is an investment not only in the well-being of older people, but also in social cohesion, intergenerational solidarity, and trust in public institutions. At the same time, he stressed that the future of pension systems depends not only on demographic or fiscal indicators, but also on labor market developments, institutions, and the level of trust in society, and that social dialogue plays a decisive role in this process. Pension reforms remain socially and politically sensitive because they influence citizens' long-term expectations.

🔹 Adrian Lupușor, executive director of Expert-Grup, presented an economic analysis of the pension system in the Republic of Moldova, emphasizing the importance of public policies based on demographic data and forecasts for maintaining the financial sustainability of the system.

During the discussions, the panelists highlighted the need to strengthen measures that encourage the formalization of work as an essential solution for improving the sustainability of the pension system in the Republic of Moldova.

This panel was supported by the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the German Development Bank (KfW), the Swiss Cooperation Office, UNICEF Moldova, and the International Labor Organization, to whom we extend our sincere thanks for their ongoing contribution to the modernization and strengthening of the social protection system in the Republic of Moldova.