NSSF looks for ways to improve services

NATIONAL Social Security Fund (NSSF) officials met relevant stakeholders on Tuesday to discuss strategies on how to optimise its services and to expand welfare programmes for workers in informal sectors.

In his campaign last year, Prime Minister Hun Sen pledged to provide all garment workers with health insurance through NSSF’s Health Equity Fund, plus maternity benefits for female employees – starting this year.

NSSF announced in October that the proposed plan would allow other informal workers – such as maids and construction workers – to be eligible for the same benefits.

Its president, Ouk Samvichea, acknowledged the significance of the informal sector in the Kingdom’s economic development.

His statement, quoted on NSSF Facebook Page, says: “Informal workers play an important role in empowering the economy and national budget.”

Samvichea also lamented the challenges faced by informal workers, using construction workers as an example.

“Most of [the construction workers] are unskilled, unregistered, and have no permanent living place. Their wage is very low, but their expenses for their families are high.”

“The workers,” Samvichea added, “have l it t le to no money for health t reatments. When t hey get into accidents, t hey could die or become disabled thus t heir family would lose t heir source of income.”