IPE hat einen Bericht zum Status der Beratungen zur Altersvorsorge 2020 publiziert und dabei ausgiebig aus unserem letzten Newsletter zitiert. Zur Sprache kommt aber auch Hanspeter Konrad, der sich über die Zukunft der Reform ebenfalls besorgt zeigt.
Hanspeter Konrad, director of ASIP, the Swiss occupational pensions trade association, told IPE it was possible that the entire reform initiative collapsed but that he was optimistic and that the association was continuing to work towards a solution being found in parliament.
“We’re of the opinion that this reform is necessary and that it must not be allowed to fail,” he said.
Not everyone in the second pillar in Switzerland believes the reform is needed, although one source recently expressing this view to IPE said his was a contrarian one.
Konrad said that the question about the CHF70 first pillar top-up was political and that ASIP was neutral on this, focusing instead on the second-pillar aspects of the reform.
It believes that solutions can be found for the lowering of the minimum conversion rate to be offset within the second pillar.
The next steps in the law-making process are for the advisory committee in the Nationalrat to debate the upper chamber’s proposal, and then for the full lower chamber to do so.
“After that, the reform package will go back and forth in session,” said Konrad, adding that he expected a few differences to remain, including over the CHF70, and that a mediation conference was likely.
He expects that, at the end of the day, the politicians will “get their act together” to find a solution. “But I wouldn’t bet on it,” he said.
