WASHINGTON, May 10 (Hina) - Croatia could be the first country in transition with which the USA will sign an agreement on social security. Croatia's Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic spoke in Washington on Friday
about this matter with deputy commissioner of the US Administration for Social Security, Paul van de Water.
WASHINGTON, May 10 (Hina) - Croatia could be the first country in
transition with which the USA will sign an agreement on social
security. Croatia's Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko
Vidovic spoke in Washington on Friday about this matter with deputy
commissioner of the US Administration for Social Security, Paul van
de Water. #L#
The agreement would regulate the transfer of pensions, inclusion of
seniority and some other issues relating to health contributions.
The agreement would enable numerous Croatian immigrants who earned
their pensions in the US to transfer them to Croatia. The agreement
would also allow for seniority earned in one country to be added to
the employee's total seniority. On the other hand social security
could be offered to detached workers. Currently there are 105 US
citizens working in Croatia while there is about ten times more
Croatian citizens working in the USA.
The American side estimates that the agreement could cost the US
about US$11 million. A final decision on the matter needs to be made
by the Congress. Negotiations for a similar agreement with Japan
lasted for 15 years and Croatia would be the first transition
country with which the USA would sign such an agreement.
(hina) sp sb