Palace: Request to suspend hike in SSS contributions under study

(FILE) SSS Building in Quezon City.

MANILA, Philippines — The request of business and labor leaders to defer the increase in the monthly contributions of members to the Social Security System (SSS) is already being studied by the Office of the President, Malacañang assured Thursday.

“Pinagaaralan po ngayon yan ng Office of the President,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing when asked to comment on calls to defer the hike in SSS contributions.

(This is now being studied by the Office of the President.)

READ: EO suspending hike in SSS contributions sought

“Meron na pong sinubmit na rekomendasyon ang SSS. Pero ang tinitignan po natin yung financial viability ng SSS at the same time, yung kahinaan ng negosyo at hanapbuhay sa kabila po ng pandemya. So asahan po natin ang desisyon sa lalong mabilis na panahon,” he added.

(The SSS has submitted a recommendation. But we’re still looking at the financial viability of the SSS and at the same time, business weakness amid the pandemic. Expect the decision to come out as soon as possible.)

Roque said Malacañang is also studying appeals to restore the old rates of monthly SSS contributions.

In a joint letter, heads of business groups asked President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order deferring the increase in SSS contributions to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises cope amid the pandemic.

Signed in May this year was Republic Act No. 11548 which gave the President the power to defer increases in SSS contributions during times of national emergency and for the duration of a state of calamity.

Even so, the groups said the scheduled increase in SSS premium to 13 percent from 12 percent already took effect in January 2021. Despite the signing of the law, the EO for the deferment has yet to be issued.

/MUF