Social security net continues to expand

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, May 28: The number of Nepalis associated with social security has been increasing over the years. 

According to the economic survey presented by Finance Minister Barsaman Pun in the Parliament on Sunday, the number of citizens receiving social security allowance has increased by 5.5 per cent in the current fiscal year as compared to last year.

By mid-March, this fiscal, 3,800,27 citizens received social security allowance. Last year, 3,706,327 got it. The number of senior citizens aged above 70 years is 1,622,516. 

Dalits aged above 60 years have reached 158,261, single female senior citizens aged above 60 years is 198,270, widows 76,553, people with complete disabilities 66,452, people with severe disabilities 142,185, children of designated sectors 761,093 and Dalit children 342,176. 

Every year, the amount of money that the state spends on social security allowance is increasing. In the current fiscal year, the federal government allocated Rs. 298.57 billion for social security. 

The amount allocated by the government for social security is 14.78 per cent of the total budget and 22.67 per cent of the budget allocated under the heading of recurrent expenditure. 

The budget allocation for social security is 5.54 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Almost a decade ago, only 8.17 per cent of the total budget was spent on social security.

The government has been providing a monthly allowance of Rs. 4,000 to senior citizens who have reached the age of 70 in the current fiscal year.

Similarly, a monthly allowance of Rs. 2,660 has been provided for Dalits who have reached 60 years, single women, the poor, and those from the marginalized groups and communities, and children. 

Similarly, the number of employers and workers registered in the Social Security Fund has been increasing every year. By mid-March 2024, a total of 18,755 employer organisations have been registered in the Social Security Fund (SSF). 

Until this period, almost 1.2 million workers, including domestic and foreign workers, had been registered in the Social Security Fund.

Under the Deprived Citizen Treatment Programme, a total of 35,143 citizens received free health services for the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer, heart and kidney disease during the first eight months of the current fiscal year. 

By mid-March 2024, the number of families covered by health insurance was 2,395,000, while the total insured number was 7.72 million. Similarly, 3.621 million people received health insurance during the review period.