Nepalis working abroad can now join social security fund

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 21: Nepali migrant workers employed abroad and Nepalis running businesses outside the country can participate in the social security scheme running in their homeland. 

It has become possible with the implementation of the contribution-based social security scheme run by the Social Security Fund (SSF) which will come into effect by the second week of March 2023. 

The SSF has formulated a ‘procedure for the operation of the contribution-based social security scheme for the workers in foreign employment and self-employment’ which was ratified by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) last week. 

According to the SSF, all interested Nepali nationals working abroad can apply for the participation in the scheme via online application facility of the Fund or any agency assigned by it. 

They have to submit a copy of their citizenship or passport, labour permit (if they are in a country where labour permit is needed), name and address of the employer and country, and details of a contact person in Nepal including their name, address and relationship. 

Likewise, Nepalis self-employed abroad should submit the copy of their business registration certificate, name of the company or profession, its address and contact number, and should mention the amount of money to be contributed to the scheme. In response, the SSF will issue an identity card for the applicant which would be sent to them via online means. 

Meanwhile, according to the procedure, all Nepali migrant workers going abroad after the new rule comes into effect should be mandatorily registered for the scheme. They should contribute at least 21.33 per cent of the basic salary, set by the Government of Nepal for the industrial sector workers here, to the fund. 

The SSF will run three special schemes for Nepalis working abroad – accident and disability security scheme, dependent family security scheme, and old age security scheme. These facilities could be availed only nine months after the beginning of contribution to the SSF. 

The scheme covers hospital expenses up to Rs. 100,000 in case of accident of the contributor. The contributor would receive about 60 per cent of the basic salary if there is a case of permanent disability. Under the dependent family scheme, there are pension for the spouse, educational expenses for children and expenses for the last rites.

About 17,535 employers and 380,982 contributors are listed at the SSF so far. They have contributed Rs. 27 billion to the fund while the SSF has paid Rs. 2.9 billion to the contributors. 

Similarly, it has paid Rs. 335 million for medical and maternity claims, Rs. 37 million for accident and disability claims, Rs. 51 million for dependent family security claims and Rs. 2.48 billion for retirement claims.

As per the Economic Census 2018, there were 922,445 business institutions in Nepal by April 2018 and the number of employees stood at 3.4 million. But, half of the enterprises, especially the cottage and small industries, were not registered with the government agencies.