By: Bampia James Bundu
Strategic Communication- Unit MIC.
The Director-General of National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) Mohamed Fuard Daboh has updated journalists on the transformative drive his leadership is embarking on at the trust from 2018 to date.
This was made public at the weekly press briefing held at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Communication 8th Floor Youyi Building in Freetown on Thursday 29th April 2021.
DG Daboh explained that, since his appointment as Director-General on the 30th May 2018, he has spared no effort in making sure that he prioritises the operations and benefits payment department as they are the reason for the establishment of the Scheme.
Compliance with the provisions of the NASSIT Act has been a major challenge in the Trust over the years.
In order to overcome this challenge, he said, the Trust had ensured that the numbers of Inspectors (who are key to the operations of the Trust) were increased, and all of them were provided with refresher training and working toolkits, a move which he said have increased the output tremendously.
He maintained that, in 2019, the Judiciary of Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Trust established the Social Security Court for all NASSIT compliance cases.
This court he said, has contributed immensely in addressing the perennial non-compliance and other related issues faced by the Trust.
In addition to building staff capacity and the setting up of the Social Security Court to improve compliance, Director-General Daboh maintains that his administration organized the Employer’s Banquet and Awards ceremony, a forum where the Trust and its members especially the employers, got together with the aim of fostering improved relationship and partnership, deepen understanding of the work of the Trust, and engender stronger commitment to and support for NASSIT programmes, especially in the area of registration, contributions collection and data management; and also to recognised and award some of those employers who fully complied with the provisions of the NASSIT.
“As at March this year, we have Eighteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine (18,239) registered establishments, and Two Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty-One (249,681) Insured Members in the Scheme,” he said, adding that the processing and payment of Benefit is the reason why they exist as a Trust, and over the years they has been faced with challenges ranging from, Incomplete documentation; gaps in members’ contribution records; wrong members’ records; lack of information update; and infrastructural deficiencies and data integrity issues.
DG Daboh revealed that in order to overcome the aforementioned challenges NASSIT has established a Unit known as Project 54+ with the primary responsibility of interfacing with their members in order to ensure that their data are up-to-date before they apply for their retirement.
This has not only shortened the benefits processing claim time; it has also increased access to our benefit.
“My administration is determined to make NASSIT the centre of excellence in the provision of quality service for our members, who are key to our existence. In line with that, we have introduced the NASSIT Customer Service Mobile Clinic;
The inaugural programme which was organized in 2020 was hosted simultaneously at the Miatta Conference Centre, New England Ville and SAL POST; The NASSIT Mobile Clinic which has now been incorporated into our annual operations is a one-stop-shop outreach service to customers outside the normal office setting to address their social security challenges” He said.
The Conference was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Madam Mamadi Gobeh-Kamara who also update members of the press on ongoing government activities across the country.