The entrance of the National Social Security Fund ( NSSF) in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district on January 10. Heng Chivoan
Heng Sophannarith, deputy director-general of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), has called on self-employed individuals to come forward and apply for an NSSF card, noting that members of the fund are protected from a serious loss of income in the event of illness or injury.
His appeal came as he addressed the March 13 “Improving the effectiveness of the social security system” discussion forum, the 6th of this year’s Social Protection Week, according to a social media post by the NSSF.
“Having an NSSF card is important for your protection and that of your families. It means you will be able to afford treatment in the event of an illness or accident,” he said.
“In addition to personal protection, NSSF membership also contributes to ensuring the sustainability of the social security system, through voluntary contributions. This is in line with phase one of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy, which aims to achieve universal health coverage [UHC],” he added.
Fa Sali, president of the National Union Alliance Chamber of Cambodia (NACC), supported the calls for more self-employed people to become members of the fund, but suggested that in order to make applying more convenient, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training should arrange for the NSSF service to be available at One Window Service Offices (OWSO).
“Many people have complained that the process is complicated and difficult because it is unavailable at the OWSO. When coupled with the slowness of the officials and the requirement for a lot of documentation, many people are dissuaded from applying. If the ministry made them available at the local level, more people would apply,” he said.
Despite this, he supports the purpose of the fund, noting that it helps to reduce the cost of serious medical treatment, and that the costs of membership are relatively low compared to neighbouring countries.
According to the NSSF, as of the end of February, the fund had more than two million members, including private company employees and self-employed individuals as well as their dependants.
