The report (TMIS 28 December 2014) on a seminar entitled Women and Pensions, organised by MSV Life and the National Council of Women, quotes MSV Life CEO, David G Curmi, as saying not only that "the state has an obligation toward those who have contributed to society by working", but he also recommends "setting up employee saving schemes with automatic enrolment, where a small part of an employee's salary is automatically deducted and saved".

This speaker, if correctly reported, seems unaware that what he is suggesting is an employer-organised occupational pension scheme, and that occupational pensions have been "outlawed" in Malta for over 30 years. Holders of such pensions (also called "service" or "second pillar" pensions) suffer corresponding deductions from their contributory state ("first pillar") pension. The Maltese state has been defrauding some pensioners' contributory pension and it hasn't yet shown any intention of amending the Social Security law which has permitted such institutionalised pension fraud for so long. The Maltese state is in fact not respecting what Mr Curmi claims is its "obligation toward those who have contributed to society by working".

Prof. Albert Cilia-Vincenti President,

National Association of Service Pensioners