The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is rolling out a pilot of its Social Health Insurance scheme for tuk-tuk drivers in the capital in April as part of a move to extend social security coverage to the nation’s informal workers.

From April 1, the Social Health Insurance Pilot Project will be available to the capital’s army of tuk-tuk drivers, who can register using their national ID card and vehicle identification card at the NSSF headquarters.

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The newly-announced scheme, a partnership between NSSF and NGO GRET, with support from Agence Française de Développement (AFD), will require drivers to contribute 15,600 riels a month through partner banks. Users can also register online via the NSSFPilotScheme application and collect their cards.

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To access the benefits, registered members must pay the contribution fee consecutively for at least two months. The medical treatment and health care services provided through the scheme include inpatient treatment at an NSSF-accredited health facility, as well as maternity and emergency services.

Ouk Samvithyea, Delegate of the Royal Government in charge as Director General of the NSSF, said he remains hopeful that this pilot project “will become a study mechanism to expand the social security scheme to every self-employed person in the Kingdom of Cambodia”.

Currently, informal workers form the backbone of Cambodia's economy, accounting for more than 65 percent.

The pilot project is part of a collaboration between the NSSF and GRET, with support from AFD, to achieve an inclusive social security system for informal sector workers, such as tuk-tuk drivers and domestic workers. This is a landmark achievement as the NSSF is advancing its coverage to include more workers from the informal sector in the nationwide system.

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“A significant task lies ahead to extend the coverage and adequacy of social protection. It is a priority,” added Emmanuel Dollfus, Deputy Country Director of AFD Cambodia.

Damien Thibaut, Deputy Director General of GRET, said, “[The pilot scheme will] increase solidarity between the people, as well as ensure a more inclusive society that is contributing to human development and achievement of sustainable development goals”.

Throughout the years, GRET has built a strong partnership with the NSSF to pursue the Social Protection ambition set by the Government. The extension of social security coverage to tuk-tuk drivers will be a stepping stone to progressively extending the social health insurance scheme to all self-employed people in Cambodia.

Earlier this year, GRET, NSSF, and AFD inked a Memorandum of Understanding to start a feasibility study project about including agriculture workers in the nationwide scheme.

marissa.carruthers@kiripost.com