Kathmandu, Nov. 28: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha said that workers in the informal sector would also be included in the social security fund.

Addressing the 4th Social Security Day on Saturday, Minister Shrestha said that the government had a strategy to include all employers and workers from all sectors by revising working procedures of the Fund. 

Mentioning that the social security fund will ensure the rights of the workers and share the liabilities of employers, he said that the workers from all sectors, including the informal sector will also be included.

Minister Shrestha said that an environment would be created for the employees working in banks and financial institutions and migrant workers to easily join the social security fund.

He said that the government had a plan to expand the branches of the Fund in all seven provinces and urged everyone to be involved in it. 

Although some shortcomings were seen in the beginning years of the establishment of the Fund due to the commencement of new work, significant employers and workers have joined in the Fund after the government amended the working procedure in January last year, he said.

“I believe that all employers and workers will benefit from the scheme provided from the Fund by joining in it. There will be no workers outside the Fund,” he said. 

Effective implementation of the Fund would attract both domestic and foreign investment by improving the business environment in the country, said the Minister.

He said that the facilities and schemes of the Fund would be gradually increased considering the needs of time.

Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security Surya Prasad Gautam said that the Fund was set up to ensure the constitutional rights of the workers.

“So far it has been an achievement in terms of affiliation and it should be taken positively,” he said. 

He emphasised the need to look at the Fund in a positive way, as it would help in times of crisis for workers.

He informed that the government was planning to include workers and employers of unorganised sectors to the Fund. 

Executive Director of the Fund Kapil Mani Gyawali expressed his commitment to make the Social Security Fund contribution-friendly by revising and modifying its working procedures.

So far, more than 15,800 employers and 295,000 workers have joined the Fund. Out of the affiliated contributors, 123 dependent families will get continuous pension under the scheme of the Fund. 

Senior vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Chandra Dhakal said that the Fund should be revised in a timely manner

The Fund was implemented in developed countries after a long time of establishment, he said and urged all to join the Fund and support it to make it a success.

Dhakal said that the Fund would help improve labour relations among government, private sector and workers.Similarly, on the occasion, the Fund has distributed lifetime pensions to 52 dependent families of the contributors who died due to various reasons.

Published on: 29 November 2021 | The Rising Nepal