Fundo de Segurança Social

The FSS is the government department that is responsible for implementing various social security policies and measures and managing the related resources. Established on 23 March 1990, the main function of the FSS at that time was to provide social security for local employees. Through the implementation of social security system under Decree-Law 84/89/M, the FSS provided local workers with economic aid when they were old, unemployed and sick. During the initial implementation of the social security system, only employees working for others were allowed to make contributions. In pace with social development, the FSS has endeavoured to extend the social security coverage and started to carry out various service reforms. In 1993, voluntary contributions (for those who have stopped working for others to continue making contributions) were introduced, followed by the contributions for the self-employed and some new benefits. In order to make the functions and resources of the FSS more focused on the protection of the old-age, the granting of relief payments was transferred to the Social Welfare Bureau in 2007, and the pensionable age was also downwardly adjusted in 2008 to respond to social aspirations. The protection of the living of residents is the basis of social harmony and social development, and the establishment of a relatively perfect system for the protection of old-age is one of the important cornerstones. With the exacerbated situation of the ageing society, residents are increasingly in need of universal coverage. Thus in November 2008, the SAR Government announced the "Social Security and Old-Age Pension System Reform Program". Its core content was to build a two-tier social security system, i.e. all Macao residents can enjoy basic social protection to improve the quality of life through the first-tier social security system, whereas the more comfortable retirement protection is supported by the second-tier non-mandatory central provident fund system. Law 4/2010 "Social Security System" came into force on 1 January 2011, and Law 7/2017 "Non-Mandatory Central Provident Fund System" also came into force on 1 January 2018. At this point, the two-tier social security system of Macao has entered a new milestone. In order to effectively carry out the new functions, the new by-law "Organization and Operations of the Social Security Fund" also came into force on 18 July 2017. Last updated: January 2018