The Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) is embarking on a countrywide member education campaign.
The sessions, which kicked off in the North Bank Region of The Gambia, are designed to remind stakeholders, primarily already registered institutions about the obligations and benefits that come with SSHFC scheme membership.
Famara Fofana, senior corporate affairs manager at the SSHFC, said it is important that stakeholders, particularly registrable organisations fully comprehend the institution’s mandate, services and operational procedures. This, he said, will help ensure compliance on the part of the corporation’s members by paying their employees’ monthly contributions without delays.
“If our stakeholders are empowered with information, they will fully understand the importance of SSHFC scheme membership which helps employees of quasi government and private establishments to prepare for their retirement years by paying into a pension pot or setting aside savings on a monthly basis.
“The face-to-face member education sessions we are conducting in all the provincial regions are allowing us to listen and take note of the concerns of our members so that we better cater to their needs.”
More crucially too, Mr Fofana said the provincial outing which is rubber stamped by the SSHFC leadership is availing them an avenue to dispel the misconceptions harboured by both institutions and individuals alike about the corporation and its work.
During sessions across the various regions, the SSHFC team is taking employees through the processes of registration applicable to the National Provident Fund, Federated Pension Scheme and the Industrial Injuries Compensation.
David DL Mendy, head of SSHFC member education unit said: “To ensure that the processing of their claims and the payment of benefits are done without any complications, the onus is on employees to provide SSHFC with accurate information, particularly their name and age at the time of registration.”
As the outreach programme progresses, employees of the various institutions upcountry that are registered with SSHFC have been appealing to the corporation to prioritise the provision of membership cards, timely processing of statements of account and benefits payments as well as the establishment of regional outfits to enhance service delivery for registered employees and potential ones in provincial Gambia.
SSHFC was established in 1981 through an act of parliament with the mandate of providing social protection and shelter for all Gambians.
