DOHA: There were 2,111 nationals from the neighbouring GCC states working in Qatar in 2011 who were covered under the state pension scheme, while the number of Qataris based in other GCC states totalled barely 47 in that year.
Figures released by the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA) yesterday reflect that only two citizens from other GCC states were added to the above list in 2011 over the previous year.
As for Qataris based elsewhere in the region, the figure seems to have gone up marginally from 42 in 2010 to 47 in 2011, and a vast majority of them were in public sector jobs.
The GRSIA gave away pensions to eligible retirees to the tune of QR1.44bn ($396m) last year, which more than doubled over 2010 since a large number of employees covered under the scheme retired in 2011.
The pension funds invested last year totalled QR20.73bn ($5.68bn) and 85.5 percent of it was parked inside the country while only 14.5 percent remained overseas.
The GRSIA issued a press statement yesterday outlining its achievements in 2011 ahead of the National Day, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
There were 46,818 subscribers to the mandatory pension scheme last year — a number that was down from 48,074 in 2010, representing a 2.7 percent decline, the GRSIA, which is an autonomous body and works directly under the State Cabinet, said in the statement.
Last year, several new subscribers joined the pension scheme as their service ended or in other words, they retired, and their transactions with the GRSIA totalled 2,954, the GRSIA statement said.
The number of state and private sector entities that were members of the pension scheme was 479 last year with an increase 55, or 13 percent, over 2010. The Peninsula
