The Ministry of Finance has started turning the pension disbursement system from a manual into an automated one. This concerns three million retirees. Retirees are due to get an e-card and a personal secret number for free to get their pension from automated teller machines (ATM) in the offices and outlets of the National Authority of Social Insurance. This comes within the framework of the Authority's services and the merging of services offered by the two social insurance funds to workers in the private and public sectors and to those working for the government. Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Moeed, assistant minister of finance, said the automated pension-disbursement project is already being implemented in three pension disbursement outlets (one at the insurance office in downtown Cairo affiliated to the Social Insurance Fund for government workers and two in two offices in Zamalek and Heliopolis affiliated to the Social Insurance Fund for workers in the private and public sectors). He then affirmed that 2,000 pension disbursement e-cards have been issued for pensioners, pointing out that the project will gradually be extended to all social outlets and areas over the current year. He then explained that the project aims to provide a better service to retirees, as it enables them to get their pension from any outlet affiliated to the National Authority for Social Insurance nationwide without having to go to their usual outlet or the one mentioned in their files. The new system also enables retirees from withdrawing their pension throughout the month – and not on a specific day – until three months from the day the pension is payable. After three months, the pension goes back to the Authority to protect retirees' money.
