July 8: Newly-appointed Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Sher Bahadur Kunwar, has said the coverage of social security would be expanded to the informal sector workers.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Tarai Development and Communications Centre on Thursday, Labour Minister Kunwar said that Nepali citizens working in the informal sector as well as the ones who are self-employed and those working in foreign employment would be included in the social security fund.    
At present, only the workers of the formal sector are covered by the social security fund. A total of 344,248 contributors and 17,156 employers are associated with the fund so far. The fund has been making work procedure in order to bring the workers of the informal sector under its coverage from the upcoming fiscal year.    
Minister Kunwar further said that the facilities provided by the fund would be increased. The fund has been providing financial support to contributors under four types of schemes--Accidental and Disability Protection Scheme, Medical and Safe Maternity Scheme, Dependent Protection Scheme and Pension Scheme.    
Similarly, Secretary at the Labour Ministry Ek Narayan Aryal shared that workers who are in overseas employment would be associated with the fund and they would be provided concessional loan upon their return in order to make them entrepreneurs.    
The fund would provide loan on different topics to contributors from August 17. A total of Rs 19.62 billion has been deposited in the fund so far.    
Executive Director of the fund, Kapil Mani Gyawali, shared that the fund has forwarded short-term, mid-term and long-term plans to reduce the possible risks that might occur in workers' life.  -- RSS