By: Aaron Bundu Lahai-Head of Media & Public Relations
The Honourable Vice President of Sierra Leone Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has on Thursday 13th October, 2022 attended the National Members Conference organized by the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) at the Bintumani Center in Aberdeen, Freetown. Vice President Jalloh in his keynote speech admonished the Administration of NASSIT to invest in healthcare infrastructure and housing. He said that NASSIT could invest in healthcare infrastructure by rolling out a health insurance scheme to reduce out of pocket expenditure by average Sierra Leoneans to access health services. He cited radiography units that house X-Ray machines in hospitals as one of the areas where the Trust could invest and outsource the management of the facility to the private sector in Sierra Leone. He added that everything about the private sector is profit and admonished the private sector to partner and do everything to repair the machine in case of any break down to retain business.
He emphasized that Sierra Leone has good medical professionals that could perform any medical operation, but that one problem in the country is a lack of modern medical equipment.
Vice President Jalloh also encouraged NASSIT management to invest in housing to reduce housing poverty in Freetown. He noted that people construct houses under bridges and those houses are affected during the rainy season because due to the slope shape of the land in Freetown. He furthered that the housing needs and space to accommodate everybody in Freetown is unimaginable, and admonished the management of NASSIT to invest in housing outside Freetown; in places like Lungi. “The construction of houses outside Freetown can stop dangerous construction in Freetown” he opined. He informed participants about the provision of State lands in the Peninsular area, Western Rural District to five hundred public sector workers including teachers, nurses, military and police officers by the Bio’s Administration for the first time; the public sector workers were beneficiaries of a raffle draw that was organized by the Ministry of Lands.
He disclosed that housing poverty and healthcare provision are critical challenges affecting both pensioners and the working class. He noted that despite Government’s commitment in budgetary allocation increment in the health sector from 6% in 2018 to 11.45 in 2022, Government is still short of the Abuja Declaration of 15% threshold on health budget.
He urged the Management of the social security institution to review the entity’s investment portfolio that will enhance private sector investment, and informed about Government’s determination to see an innovative Public Private Partnership from NASSIT.
Dr Jalloh informed about the implementation of the three elements of the Human Capital Development Vision of President Bio, which includes education, health, and food production, and added that the elements are about placing human beings at the centre of Government effort.
He revealed about the Government of President Bio’s engagement in capital investment in the area of revenue generation on ascending to power in 2018. He told the audience that revenue generation had been doing well until COVID-19 struck, followed by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. He stated that since then, the Government of Sierra Leone had been struggling to increase revenue and undertake capital investment. Dr Jalloh maintained in spite of such challenges the Government of Sierra Leone has honoured it commitment in education and healthcare.
He explained that transforming NASSIT was a manifesto commitment by President Bio. He pledged the commitment of the New Direction Government to undertake progressive audit of institutions with the object of making them operate in relevance to their purpose.
He urged the Chief Executive, and Board of Trustees of NASSIT to speed up the review of the Act that established the institution.
Alpha Timbo-Minister of Labour and Social Security informed the audience that NASSIT was launched on 1st May, 2002 by late President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. He said that the NASSIT scheme was launched to take care of workers livelihood, families and their dependents. He told the audience that the Trust was collecting 15% contribution for every formal worker, with the employer paying 10% and the employee paying 5%. Minister Timbo informed that the Members Conference was launched after the first five years of NASSIT establishment, adding that the Conference was not only used to celebrate success but was meant to be a potent tool of national sensitization during which a critical look of the Trust activities were looked into as well as challenges.
Fouad Daboh, the Chief Executive of NASSIT commended Government for its consistent support in pursuit of the institution objectives of establishing an effective Social Security Trust. He said that the Act that established NASSIT makes the scheme for all workers in the formal sector, where there is an employer/employee relationship. The two-day Conference is expected to last till Friday 14th October 2022, and brought together both local and international participants.