KATHMANDU: The government’s Social Security Fund (SSF), introduced to bring all citizens under the social protection framework, has accumulated nearly Rs 100 billion in contributions.
According to the Fund, total contributions have now reached Rs 95.44 billion. The number of registered employers has climbed to 22,309, while the total number of enrolled contributors has reached 2,641,189.
So far, the Fund has disbursed Rs 17.64 billion in claim payments. Of this, Rs 2.51 billion has been paid under medical, health, and maternity claims, and Rs 228.65 million under accident and disability claims.
Similarly, dependent family security claims amount to Rs 290.7 million, while retirement-related claims have reached Rs 14.61 billion.
The Fund’s effectiveness has increased in recent years, especially after the government made participation mandatory for migrant workers going abroad for employment. Self-employed workers, employees of industrial institutions, and members of various organizations are eligible to enroll and become contributors.
Regular contributors are entitled to benefits under medical treatment, pension, accident and disability, dependent family security, and old-age security schemes.
Calls have been growing for the Fund to introduce more innovative schemes to enhance its impact. With contributions rising steadily, stakeholders say it is essential to explore additional investment avenues to ensure sustainable returns
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