Socso’s employment insurance yet to be offered to self-employed

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resource Ministry is not ready to open the Employment Insurance System (EIS) under Social Security Organisation (Socso) for those who are self- employed apart from taxi drivers.

Its Minister M Kula Segaran said the ministry through Socso had introduced the social security network for selfemployed individuals through SelfEmployment Social Security Act 2017 to provide protection against accidents at work.

“Socso is holding to the concept of solidarity via pooling of resources and sharing of risks.

"Socso needs to study the implications of extending coverage and its implementation from the viability of the scheme …,” he said at Dewan Rakyat when replying to a question from Nor Azrina Surip ( PH-Merbok) on whether Socso considered opening the implementation of EIS for those who are self- employed.

Kula Segaran said Socso would be looking into providing social security protection to all sectors of employment whether in formal or informal sector.

Many countries have implemented EIS conservatively for fixed income employment in the private sector.

“However, some countries have extended coverage to self- employed individuals including employment on voluntary basis with certain conditions such as in Denmark and Germany,” he said. — Bernama