The change in the procedure for the payment of social security from August 3 caused a disturbance. Now, the payment of social insurance for employers and self-employed is done electronically through the SISnet online system of the Social Insurance Services.
Entry to the online payment system is done through CY Login, instead of with the previous access details used by the affected parties. That is, natural and legal persons, in order to access the SISnet system, will have to create a profile-account in CY Login.
Through this service, users who have access to a wide range of online services of the Republic of Cyprus are managed and identified through a single access. The change in the process is part of the creation of a single access to the state's digital services.
Inconvenience for the elderly
The new data seem to be afflicting natural and legal persons, with the elderly who employ domestic workers facing the greatest difficulties.
According to complaints received by 'F', the majority of elderly people do not have a CY Login account and are therefore unable to pay their social security contributions as before.
In fact, as we were told, due to their lack of familiarity with digital payments and the internet, they face many difficulties in creating a CY Login account, as they will also have to be identified.
In cases where they cannot do it on their own and entrust the specific procedure to their children, then they are considered administrators and face difficulties in identifying their parents, who are the employers of the domestic helpers.
What worries those affected most is the possibility of interest and charges due to the non-timely payment of social security contributions. It is worth noting that the burden on social insurance, in some cases, can reach 27%.
Inconvenience for businesses too
In addition to the elderly, employers, whether they are natural or legal persons, also face some inconvenience. In both cases, the account is opened electronically. However, for companies, in order to activate CY Login, the process should be done through the Citizen Service Centers (KEP).
According to professional bodies, even two weeks can pass from the day they were created until the accounts are activated, which causes them to worry about the possibility of late payment of social security.
Insufficient information
Those affected claim that the competent services did not proceed with an adequate public information campaign to open a CY Login account in time.
In fact, they note that only three announcements were made to change the procedure, one in May and the other two in July. The last two announcements were the same, one in Greek and the other in English.
Interested parties were invited, in case they did not have a CY Login account, to proceed with the creation of an account and their identification. In fact, it was clarified that either the affected person or one of his representatives could enter the system for the purpose of paying contributions.
In last May's announcement, guidelines were given for creating an account in CY Login, for the abolition of the previous login process, for the possibility of appointing a representative, but also for the management of multiple employer registration numbers. A representative of the Ministry of Labour, speaking to "F", said that the situation is being monitored and ways to solve the problem are being examined.
