December 23: Nepali citiznes who are employed abroad along with informal sector workers will also be able to participate in the social security scheme of the government from April 14. For this, the government has issued the Social Security Scheme Operation Procedure 2079.

Labor Minister Sher Bahadur Kunwar informed that the scheme will start from April 14. The Ministry of Labor had initially planned to make this announcement on November 27. However, as Minister Kunwar was busy with the House of Representatives elections, the announcement process was delayed. Social Security Fund organized a program on December 20 and formally announced the plan.

According to the procedures endorsed by the Ministry, Nepali workers in foreign employment will have to contribute 21.33 percent of the minimum basic salary set by the Nepalese government. The government of Nepal has fixed the minimum basic salary of workers in the industrial sector at Rs 15,000.

Similarly, 7.44 percent of the contribution amount made by the workers will be allocated for the Accident and Disability Protection Plan and the Dependent Family Protection Plan. Likewise, 13.25 percent amount will be allocated for old-age security scheme. People on foreign employment can contribute up to three times the minimum basic wage set for workers in the industrial sector in the scheme.

Kapilmani Gyawali, executive director of the Social Security Fund said that they will get most of the facilities received by the workers in the formal sector. Medicines, Health and Maternity Protection Scheme, Accident and Disability Protection Scheme, Dependent Family Protection Scheme and Old Age Protection Scheme will be available for contributors from the informal sector and those who are self-employed.

Workers in the informal sector and self-employed persons must contribute for at least 9 months to get benefits from the scheme. However, in order to get the benefits of the old age security scheme, the contributor must have ended their foreign employment or self-employment and returned to Nepal.

If informal sector workers and self-employed contributors need to be treated in a hospital, the cost of treatment will be provided by health facilities. Such amount will be paid directly to the concerned hospital. The medical expenses of the contributor's wife and newborn child will also be provided through health facilities. Contributors except those who need to be hospitalized and treated will be given facilities up to Rs 25,000 per year according to the doctor's prescription. In case of female contributor or male contributor's wife giving birth, an amount equal to the minimum basic salary of one month per child will be provided for child care.