Summary:
The past fifteen years have witnessed an unprecedented level of both debate about and actual change in the scope, structure and role of national pension systems. These activities are driven by a variety of motives, with the precise mixture varying dramatically from one part of the globe to another. The motives include: the need to restructure entire economic systems or reinvigorate failed pension institutions, the wish to improve social protection in concert with improving economic conditions, the
hope that alternative pension structures will improve macro- economic performance and help respond to changing demographics, and the desire to reflect changes in social philosophy about the relative importance of individual and collective roles in the provision of retirement income