The Director-General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) on Friday 17th May 2019 pledged to journalists his commitment to turn over the fortune of the Scheme. Mr Mohamed Fuaad Daboh made this pledge at a one-day press seminar organized by NASSIT at the Golden Tulip Essentials Kimibima Hotel. This one day knowledge deepening event which attracted media practitioners from both print and electronic media across the country was not only interactive but also very educative.
Delivering his Press statement, the Director-General Mr Mohamed Fuaad Daboh expressed his appreciation for the cooperation demonstrated by the press in honouring the Trust’s invitation. He intimated the press that the event was not a one-off event but a series of planned activities aimed at deepening the knowledge of the media on the activities of the institution and to also interact with the press to lay the platform for effective collaboration. The Director-General reaffirmed his commitment to redirect the focus of the institution to the core functions of the Trust and his desire to ensure that quality and excellent service are provided at NASSIT.
He outlined a plethora of successes the Trust had achieved in his short tenure as Director General, among which were:
- The provision of motorbikes to enhance mobility of staff engaged in operations
- The establishment of hotlines on both Africel and Orange networks to ensure easy access to information by the customers
- The establishment and operationalization of a social security court to enhance compliance and increase membership
- The setting up of a new regional office in the North-West region with the aim of creating easy access for our esteemed customers
- The training of staff in key operational disciplines of the Trust
He informed his audience that at the end of the first quarter of 2019, NASSIT registered a total of 15,559 institutions with 233,475 insured members, and collected Le 111.8 billion as contribution income. In the area of benefit payment as at March 2019, NASSIT had a total of 21,537 pensioners and expended a total of Le 47.9 billion in the payment of pensions, grants and gratuity. He called on the press to join hands in the transformation process by using the information earned at the seminar to educate the wider public on the activities of Trust. On his part, the Chairman of the seminar, Peter Jusu Kenah reaffirmed NASSIT’s commitment to a collaborative engagement with the Media and promised to cement the already existing relationship. He said the purpose of the seminar was to bridge the lacuna that had existed between NASSIT and the Press. He believed that the seminar would equip the press for their much-needed surveillance function. The Director of Operations Mr. Amadu Failu Dainkeh presented on the operations of the scheme, starting with its history, mandate, and structure, function and challenges, with steps taken to mitigate those challenges. The Head, Benefits who doubles as Acting Director Benefits, Mr. Edwin Mohamed Kamara presented on the activities of the Benefits division. He reminded the press of the core business of the Trust which is to collect contributions and pay benefits at the onset of a contingency. He educated the press on the three contingencies the Trust is servicing and their qualifying conditions. He cited reasons that result in the delay in processing benefits such as inconsistency in dates of birth, lack of members’ information update, incomplete documentation, and non-payment of social security contributions among others. He further cited examples of how people had attempted to defraud the institution through the falsification of documents such as death and birth certificates.
On his part, the Director of Investment, Dr. Brima Ibrahim Baimba Kargbo, schooled the press on the Trust’s investment portfolio. He informed the press that although investment is not its core business, the Trust has the mandate to invest funds that are not immediately needed to pay the benefit. Director of Investment informed his audience that NASSIT had over the years generated a return on investment to the tune of Le389.8 billion and that the Trust is doing well in key areas such as fixed income assets, treasury bearer bonds, equity share in firms and real estate rental. He concluded on the key challenges of the Trust’s investment. The seminar ended with an interactive session between facilitators and delegates, which was moderated by the Acting Head Human Resources, Mr Fadiru Koroma.