Procedures for maternity and sick leave payments have changed

From now on, maternity and temporary disability benefits will be assigned without the need for an application. Under the new procedure, citizens will no longer have to collect documents and visit various offices.

Once a doctor issues a sick leave certificate, the information is transmitted through an electronic system. Subsequently, payments will be transferred to a "Baraka" card, which is opened for the citizen free of charge.

Maternity benefits are financed by the Social Insurance Fund. They are calculated based on the employee's salary, ranging from 75 to 100 percent, for a period of 126–140 days.

There is also an opportunity for unemployed women. If they have made voluntary contributions for at least 10 months, they become eligible to receive maternity benefits.

For sick leave, the employer pays for the first 5 days. Funds for the subsequent days are allocated by the Social Insurance Fund. The payment amounts to 60–80 percent of the average salary and does not exceed 182 days per year.