By Alimatu Jalloh
The Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Mohamed Rado Swaray has called on media institutions to ensure the social security protection of their employees by registering and paying their social security contributions.
He made this call during the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) media cocktail on Thursday, November 15, 2024, at the Freetown International Conference Centre in Freetown.
He warned that punitive actions will be taken against those who fail to comply with the law, as doing business with NASSIT now requires a valid Social Security clearance certificate, NRA tax code, and registration certificate.
The Minister expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the journalists at the event.
He reminded everyone of the importance of complying with the NASSIT Act No. 5 of 2001, which mandates employers to register their institutions and employees with NASSIT and pay contributions on their behalf.
The Minister also called on the media to be on the side of the law and urged the Independent Media Commission and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists to ensure that workers in the media are protected.
He highlighted the challenges that many media practitioners face upon retirement or in case of old age, invalidity, or death, and stressed the importance of providing dignified and respectable lives for employees through social security contributions.
He also urged the media to change the narrative by respecting the law and ensuring the protection of their employees and called on all media organizations and individuals to comply with social security laws and contribute to a better future for workers in the industry.
“The event served as an opportunity for stakeholders to come together and celebrate NASSIT’s achievements while looking ahead to a promising future with a focus on operational efficiency and benefit payments, NASSIT continues to strive towards its mandate of providing support and security to workers and their families,” he said.
The Director General of NASSIT, Fuad Daboh emphasized that despite efforts to engage stakeholders, a significant level of non-compliance with the 2001 Act was noted, prompting a call for adherence to statutory obligations for media engagement.
He said that NASSIT will no longer be doing business with media that do not comply with statutory obligations.
He said that NASSIT will only make payment for advertisements to media institutions that provide NASSIT clearance certificate, NRA tax certificate, and valid registration certificate.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to the country’s regulations and called on the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) to encourage its members to register their employees and pay contributions on their behalf.
The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasrallah, emphasized the importance of media owners and employers to comply with the law regarding pay, NASSIT dues, and registration. He stressed that they are not above the law and must set an example by following regulations.