July 7: The Social Security Fund (SSF) has requested the Ministry of Finance to deposit Rs 1.5 billion to the fund as per the government's commitment to bear all the expenses on behalf of the contributors for the period between mid-May to mid-July.

While announcing the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel had said that the government would bear the expenses for this period.

The SSF has demanded Rs 1.5 billion from the Ministry of Finance after determining the amount that the contributors are liable to deposit.

Kapil Mani Gyawali, executive director of the Social Security Fund, said that the employers and contributors do not have to deposit the amount for two months  between mid-May to mid-July as announced in the budget statement. According to him, the SSF has already issued a public notice to the employers not to deposit the contribution for the month of mid-May to mid-July.

The companies have been told to deposit the contribution for this period in the workers' accounts as they do not have to deduct the amount for the social security fund.

Gyawali said that the companies must have contributed to the fund regularly till mid-May in order to be eligible to receive the relief announced by the government.

Responding to the question regarding what happens to those who are late in contributing in the month of Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May), Gyawali said, "There is nothing wrong with the delay. Even if it is late, we take into consideration the regular deposits made to our system till April.”

Gyawali said that those who have contributed to the SSF till mid-April should not worry as they have already demanded money from the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security for the payment of the entire two-month period.

The Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security had asked the Ministry of Finance to bring such a relief package through the budget with the conclusion that the steps taken for the prevention and control of the coronavirus pandemic have put private companies and workers in trouble.

According to the Ministry of Labor, the ministry is committed to implementing every programme related to labor in the budget and an action plan has been prepared.

"Even in the past, the government had borne the entire responsibility and the process is still moving forward," said Deepak Kafle, joint secretary of the ministry.