By Marilyn King in Freetown
232news
The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) on Thursday 29th September 2022 launched The Nationwide Sensitization Programme for Health Workers at the Youyi Building in Freetown.
In his Statement, The Permanent Secretary of The Ministry Of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) Prince E O Cole, stated that NASSIT was established by an Act of parliament; Act No5 of 2001. He continued that NASSIT was established to administer a Social Security Scheme that provides financial assistance, financial security to all employees in Sierra Leone, in the form of old age. He said at NASSIT, benefits are adjusted periodically based on changes in cost of living, depending on the financial cause of NASSIT. He thanked the Director General Of NASSIT for his team for starling idea for intergovernmental agencies collaboration. He said they believed in NASSIT. He stated that the challenges they are facing is wrong date of births. He said they have a lot of problems with people ‘fidgeting’ their date of birth deliberately. He stated the other challenge they are having is that which deals with pin codes, he said the pin codes are numerous, inconsistent, and when given NASSIT with wrong information, the impact will be huge on individual after they retire. He encouraged all to cooperate and contribute with NASSIT so, that when they retire they will have their fitting benefits.
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer Of Ministry Of Health and sanitation, Dr. Mustapha Kabba, He said they are really pleased in the level of collaboration, and enjoying at the moment to have NASSIT with them trying to elaborate the NASSIT structure they had in their Ministry. He furthered that staff of MOHS has been properly reintegrated, and it has been a joint effort. He maintained that for them as a ministry is very important, because they are really concerned about the welfare of their staff. He said there should be a package for every Health Care Worker. He furthered that the MOHS is providing one of the largest work force in Sierra Leone, and has been properly reintegrated at all stages as they moved on. He said NASSIT does not look only at the Insurance Scheme; they also support the Health Sector Policies. He concluded that they are happy to partnering with NASSIT and they will continue to give their full support at all times.
In His Keynote Address, The Director General of NASSIT, Mohamed Fuaad Daboh, said the Scheme was established by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust Act No.5 Of 20th July 2001, is a statutory public Trust charged with responsibility of administering Sierra Leone’s National pension Scheme. He said it provides retirement and other benefits to meet the contingency needs of workers and their dependents. He noted that the Scheme is compulsory for all workers in the formal sector and as long as there is an employer- employer relationship. He said their NASSIT Team in collaboration with the representatives from the MOHS will hold sensitization engagements with Health Workers at their various locations in all chiefdom and districts across the country. He stated that there had always been a lag between the engagement and approval dates, most of these workers have always given NASSIT their engagement date as employment date and this has led to gaps in their contribution history as the government starts paying for them after their approval. He noted that eight hundred and seventy two thousand (872,000) Health Workers are currently paid below the minimum wage, and all contributions received below the minimum wage are considered as under payment. He thanked the MOHS for their collaboration and support to make it possible. He concluded that NASSIT strongly believes in its core values of Transparency and Accountability. “I would therefore implore the Health Workers to support this Programme He said.”
