Retirees in Paraguay are demanding a complete overhaul of the Administrative Council of the Institute of Social Security (IPS), according to a report by Ultima Hora. The National Union of Retirees of Paraguay (UNJPy) held a demonstration outside IPS headquarters on Monday, voicing support for the institute's new president, Dr. Isaías Fretes, but sharply criticizing the current council.
Gustavo Canatta, president of UNJPy, told Ultima Hora that the mobilization aimed to back Fretes' “initiative and will” while insisting on the removal of the entire council. “We are directly asking for the replacement of the retiree representative (José Jara), who was never our representative,” Canatta said.
The union proposed setting up working groups with technical studies prepared by retired professionals, which they believe could improve IPS administration. Canatta stressed that the institute's main problems are administrative and financial, not medical. “The IPS has serious administrative problems throughout its structure. We cannot only talk about the pension fund. We have three programs: retirement, health, and administration,” he detailed.
A key grievance is the use of consolidated accounting, which prevents clear tracking of resource allocation among the programs. “It does not allow us to analyze whether the money being used was actually spent on the pension fund, health, or administration,” Canatta noted.
The leader called for hiring financial experts to manage the pension fund's reserves, which exceed USD 3 billion deposited in the financial system. “That must be handled by a real finance expert,” he said, recalling the resignation of Dr. Carlos Pereira, whom he called “the only capable person” for the role. Canatta urged evaluating his possible return and reiterated concerns about the current council's continuity.