Ivory Coast
Mandatory employee benefits in the Ivory Coast include retirement, disability, workers’ compensation, and healthcare. Supplementary employee benefits in the country consist of a variety of insured solutions, including health, the most sought-after, retirement, disability, and AD&D.
The Ivory Coast’s population is 29.4 million, covers 322,462 km2, has a GDP/capita 2021: 2,549 (USD), and a real GDP growth 2019: 6.5%.
Mandatory Benefits
Retirement
The general civil pension system provides social protection to all civil servants, military officials, ex-temporary staff, ambassadors, and former members of the economic and social council in the country. The benefits include old-age pension, survivor pension, survivor grant, and disability pension.
Disability pension
Employees are entitled to disability benefits, which are calculated in the same way as old-age pensions. The minimum disability pension cannot be less than 50% of the minimum wage.
Survivor pension
The spouse is entitled to 50% of the old-age or disability pension. In the case of multiple widows, the pension is split equally.
End-of-career-allowance
Employers also provide end-of-career-allowance benefits, which an employee is entitled to when they resign, terminate their employment, or retire.
Workers’ compensation – disability benefits
Temporary disability benefits
Employees are entitled to a daily allowance, which is a variable percentage based on the disability’s length.
Permanent disability benefits
Employees are entitled to a monthly total disability pension equal to 100% of their annual earnings in the case of 100% disability.
Workers’ compensation – death benefits
These benefits include a spouse’s pension, a remarriage pension, an orphan’s pension, and some coverage for funeral costs.
Healthcare
Universal Health Cover (Couverture Maladie Universelle – CMU)
CMU is the universal health insurance in the country and covers the entire citizen. It is funded via employer-employee contributions and covers all salaried employees and their dependent family members. Additionally, the government provides benefits for economically weak people in the country.
Supplementary Benefits
Retirement
A few large employers provide supplementary retirement benefits (defined benefit contributions) to their employees through group retirement savings insurance. Employers’ and employees’ contributions are usually determined by the collective agreement, depending on employees’ wages.
Healthcare
Employers provide health benefits in the event of illness or accident through group health insurance plans. Few plans provide worldwide coverage. Expats are recommended to obtain coverage of group medical plans that offer emergency evacuation services, as the country lacks medical technologies.
For more than 10 years, Groupe ASCOMA has developed proven solutions to manage healthcare expense reimbursement for employees. Our solutions meet the expectations of Ivorian companies and employees, which is access to a third-party payment system for medical services.
With the ASCOMA Health Card, companies and individuals are covered for all current expenses (optical, dentistry, pharmacy, consultations, hospitalization, etc.). Today, ASCOMA Ivory Coast’s third-party healthcare network has expanded throughout the country, providing our clients with optimal access to healthcare. The Ivory Coast Insurance Companies Association (ASACI) has issued a press release on the increase in the rates of clinics and doctors in the private sector as of July 1st, 2018. This is a unilateral decision taken by some unions of clinics and practitioners and rejected by insurers. In cases where this increase is implemented, you would have to directly pay the difference in costs. Negotiations between the parties are underway to find a solution.
Disability
Short-Term Disability
Employers provide short-term disability benefits through group personal accident insurance plans. Employees are typically entitled to a lump-sum payment. A few employers also provide annuity payments.
Long-Term Disability
Employers provide long-term disability benefits resulting from an
accident or illness through group life insurance plans. Employees are typically entitled to a lump-sum payment. A few employers also provide annuity payments.
Death Benefits
Employers provide death and funeral expense benefits through group life insurance plans. The plan provides coverage for death and absolute and definitive disability. The employers provide death benefits due to any cause in the form of a lump-sum payment or multiples of the salary. A few employers also provide annuity payments.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Employers provide accidental death and dismemberment benefits through group personal accident insurance plans. The plans provide worldwide coverage.
ASCOMA provided this information about employee benefits in the Ivory Coast. Should you need support with your benefits in the country, contact Asinta, and we will put you in touch with the experts at ASCOMA.