Doha, September 30 (QNA) - The Ministry of Justice, represented by the Legal Awareness Section of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, in cooperation with the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, held an introductory workshop on Social Insurance Law No. 1 of 2022 and its executive regulations issued under Cabinet Resolution No. 3 of 2025.

The workshop reviewed the legislative development of the country's social insurance system. During an introductory presentation, Nouf Ali Al Mazrouei, a legal specialist at the Ministry of Justice's Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, said the new legislation provides a legal safeguard that balances rights and obligations. It aims to protect individuals and provide financial stability for retirees and their families when income is interrupted due to disability, old age, or illness.

The workshop covered the criteria for mandatory participation in the system, which targets every Qatari working in the government sector, private sector or self-employed, as well as workers in sectors exempted from labor law. The law exempts family members — spouses, ascendants and descendants — in private companies.

The workshop also highlighted the "income bracket" system for self-employed workers, which is voluntary and carries a contribution rate of 21 percent selected by the insured individual based on estimated income. The authority is empowered to enroll self-employed workers in the system in coordination with their private employers and based on their preference.

The workshop included detailed discussions of the differences between actual and credited service, provisions governing the crediting and purchase of service periods, and rules for calculating leave, secondments, scholarships and training courses.

Regarding the bonus for service exceeding 30 years of actual service, for a maximum of 10 additional years, the workshop explained that the bonus is calculated at one month's pension for each year during the first five years and two months' pension for each year during the following five years. The calculation is subject to a maximum pension-calculation salary of QR 100,000, while the total bonus may not exceed 50 percent of the total contributions paid into the fund.

The event concluded with a discussion session during which Dr. Mohammed Essam, representing the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority, answered attendees' questions about the law and its implementing procedures.

The session also recommended raising legal awareness and stressed the importance of continuously updating data through the authority's GRSIA electronic application and the digital portals available to citizens and employers before undertaking retirement procedures. (QNA)