The Office of the President (OP) is studying the proposal to defer the increase in the monthly contributions of Social Security System (SSS) members, Malacañang said on Thursday.

This, after business and labor groups have asked President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order (EO) postponing the SSS contribution hike.

“Pinag-aaralan po ngayon iyan ng Office of the President. Meron na pong sinubmit na rekomendasyon ang SSS (The Office of the President is already studying that (proposal). The SSS has already submitted a recommendation),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser.

Roque said the OP would decide in view of the financial viability of SSS and the plight of businesses.

“Ang tinitignan po natin, ‘yung financial viability ng SSS, at the same time, ‘yung kahinaan ng negosyo at ng hanapbuhay sa kabila po ng pandemya. So asahan po natin ang desisyon sa lalong mabilis na panahon (We are looking at the financial viability of the SSS, and at the same time, the weakness of businesses amid the pandemic. So, expect the decision to come out as soon as possible),” he said.

The heads of at least 10 private sector and labor organizations signed a joint letter dated September 27, urging Duterte to take urgent action on the pending request for deferment of the scheduled hike in SSS premium contributions.

They said an EO is still needed despite the signing of the Republic Act (RA 11548) to implement the postponement of the increase in SSS contributions.

RA 11548, inked by Duterte in May this year, amends the Social Security Act of 2018 to allow the President to defer the scheduled hike in SSS premium contributions in times of national emergency and for the duration of a state of calamity.

The deferment of the SSS contribution hike, they said, will provide relief to micro, small and medium enterprises that are still struggling amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

SSS members’ monthly contributions were raised in January 2021 to 13 percent from the previous 12 percent.

The next schedule for the SSS contribution hike will be in 2023 and 2025 to bring the rate to 15 percent by the end of the period. (PNA)