Luanda: The Angolan government advocates a social protection system that is increasingly comprehensive, sustainable, and inclusive, built on coordination between its different pillars, including mutual associations, Secretary of State for Labour and Social Security Pedro Filipe said on Thursday in Luanda. Speaking at the opening of a seminar on the implementation of the legal framework governing the financial supervision of mutual associations, the official highlighted that 26 mutual associations are currently registered, representing more than 233,000 members, while seven others are undergoing the registration process.
According to Angola Press News Agency, these members deserve close attention and a strong sense of responsibility, as they represent individuals and families whose contributions are linked to legitimate expectations of social protection. Pedro Filipe emphasized that financial supervision should be viewed both as a protective mechanism for members and as a tool for strengthening confidence in the mutual system, establishing a balance between autonomy and accountability, solidarity and sustainability, freedom of association, and the protection of members.
For her part, the Chairperson of the Board of the Angolan Insurance Regulation and Supervision Agency (ARSEG), Filomena Manjata, stressed that the core purpose of mutual associations is to provide social security and healthcare benefits to their members. She noted that their activities are directly linked to the government's objective of strengthening and further developing complementary social protection systems.
Manjata highlighted that the financial supervision entrusted to ARSEG is intended to ensure the proper management of the financial resources and assets entrusted to mutual associations by their members, helping them to meet their obligations and social benefit commitments on a sustainable basis in accordance with their statutes. She added that ARSEG's role will be to monitor, assess, and promote conditions that support financial sustainability, identify risks, and contribute to greater transparency, good governance, and stronger control mechanisms.
She underlined that the agency takes into account the specific characteristics of mutual associations, including their legal status, objectives, regulatory framework, operational features, and the autonomy of their members. The seminar, aimed at providing information and technical clarification on the financial supervision of mutual associations and their various forms of organization, was organized by the Ministry of Public Administration, Labour and Social Security (MAPTSS), through the National Directorate for Social Security (DNSS), in collaboration with ARSEG.
