Social Protection
INSS Angola strengthens capacities in Financial Management of Social Protection
The main objective of the training was to strengthen the technical and operational skills of the INSS, at a time when Angola is deepening its efforts to consolidate social protection as a pillar of cohesion and social justice.
27 September 2024
Luanda, Angola (ILO News) - From 23 to 27 September, the Course on Social Security Financial Management Processes was held at the headquarters of the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and the SAPIENS Institute in Luanda. This "in-the-job" technical training action was promoted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Training Centre of the ILO (CIF-ILO), within the scope of the ACTION/Portugal project, funded by the Strategy and Planning Office of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security of Portugal, and the project Expansion of Social Security to Support the Formalization of the Angolan Economy (ESSAFE Angola), funded by the European Union.
The main objective of the training was to strengthen the technical and operational skills of the INSS, at a time when Angola is deepening its efforts to consolidate social protection as a pillar of cohesion and social justice. Over five days, the financial management practices and tools applied to social security institutions were intensively addressed, with a focus on the sustainability, transparency and efficiency of the system. The sharing of experiences between Angola and Portugal — represented by experts from the Institute of Financial Management of Social Security (IGFSS) — was a fundamental axis of this training, contributing to the construction of solutions adapted to the Angolan context and aligned with the ILO's international standards.
The course was structured in modules that included topics such as treasury management, the organic structure and fundamental processes of financial administration, the treatment and settlement of contributory debt, as well as coercive collection and negotiation with debtors. Expert Anabela Costa presented the good practices and budget management mechanisms applied in Portugal, underlining the importance of cash flow forecasting and the digitalisation of financial procedures. Carla Farto contributed with an in-depth analysis of the legal and operational instruments that make it possible to tackle the problem of social security debt, illustrating with the concrete experience of coercive collection in Portugal.
The Angolan context was the subject of a detailed analysis by the INSS technicians themselves, who shared the operational and structural challenges faced by the institution, specifically the informality of the labour market, the low rate of contributory coverage and the complexity of recovering active debt. This integrated approach made it possible to confront the local reality with the standards of good governance recommended by the ILO, in the framework of the Create Social Protection Floors for All programme and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth) and SDG 10 (Reduction of inequalities).
A strategic commitment to the sustainability of social protection
In addition to the technical content, the course favored participatory methodologies, such as the "Knowledge Café", where participants discussed practical solutions, shared experiences between countries and defined priorities for institutional action. The participants presented specific recommendations for the context of INSS Angola. Among the proposals outlined, the modernization of financial information systems, the creation of integrated mechanisms for the collection of contributions and the continuous training of technical staff stand out.
In this sense, the training held in Luanda represents an important step towards the consolidation of evidence-based public policies, efficient management of resources and social inclusion.