Informal Sector Workers in High Hopes
Public support is still high as the National Social security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) looks forward to implementing a new legislation which is aimed at initiating a pension scheme for Informal Sector Workers in Sierra Leone.
It could be recalled that before, during and after the preparation stages of the much-awaited NASSIT Scheme for Informal Sector Workers, the Director General of NASSIT, Mohamed Fuuad Daboh and his team always informed Informal Sector Employers and other interested parties that once the legal literature of the Informal Sector Workers’ NASSIT Scheme is drafted, the legislation (Bill) would go through the Sierra Leone Parliament for ratification before being signed by the President into law.
At the preliminary and subsequent engagements which involved scores of Informal Sector Employers, NASSIT senior staff, representatives from the Ministry of Labour, International Labour Organization (ILO) representatives and the Press, it was fundamentally clear that Informal Sector Employers are excited about the NASSIT proposal for a Scheme for Informal Sector Workers and demonstrated their willingness to fully support the new legislation when it goes to Parliament.
The enthusiasm demonstrated by Informal Sector Employers is still there, according to a number of Informal Private Sector Employers that shared their feelings with this Press.
In fact, one of them mentioned that he is surprised the Bill has not yet been tabled in Parliament after all their hard work, adding that if it had been tabled, why did NASSIT not inform them? Otherwise, they are ready to be there in their numbers to convince Parliament that they (Informal Sector Employers) are the crafters of the legislation and want it passed into law.
Be that as it may, NASSIT is indeed looking forward to receiving the necessary support that would see the new legislation for Informal Sector Workers empowered as NASSIT members to make them eligible for the full benefits of the scheme.
Hundreds of informal sector workers are still hopeful and waiting expectantly for NASSIT’s proposed scheme for workers in this sector!