83.7% of the working population is covered by the social welfare system, Director General of Social Security Nader Ajabi said on Monday, describing this rate as acceptable, but said it needed to be extended to the entire working population in both the public and private sectors. Some 45% of the workers not covered by the social welfare system work in the informal sector, he added at a study day organised by the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP)'s Parliamentary Academy. Ajabi further indicated that Social Affairs Ministry is working on improving the management of expenditure of social welfare institutions, pointing out that social benefits account for 3.8% of social welfare expenditure, compared with 5% according to international standards. The rising number of people receiving retirement pensions has contributed to the financial imbalance of social welfare funds, the official added, indicating that 1.391 million people are currently receiving retirement pensions from the national retirement and so cial welfare fund, compared with 3.409 active people. Ajabi further indicated that the average period for which retirement pensions are received is estimated at 50 years since the first pension and that retirement pensions amount to around TND 900 million each month which makes it difficult to pay pensions on time. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse