The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) in collaboration with the Judiciary is wrapping up paperwork for the setting up of a Social Security Court that will address the perennial non-compliance and other related issues faced by the Trust.

This was divulged by the Director General, Mohamed Fuad Daboh at a press briefing held on Friday 1st February 2019 at the Trust Headquarter on Walpole Street in Freetown.

Daboh said, the infrastructural work is far advanced, and hopefully, the court will be opened in the first quarter of the year.He said instituting the Social Security Court does not mean that the Trust is having challenges in paying pensioners and other benefits, but to rather ensure institutions fully comply with the scheme, as dodgers would now be dealt with accordingly.

Daboh said, despite the perennial challenges facing the Trust in collecting contribution income, the Trust has been satisfying its obligations to pensioners and other beneficiaries of the scheme on a regular basis, and that, they will continue in that direction unhindered.
Meanwhile, he said, from January to December, 2018, the Trust collected a total of Le 431.3 billion as contribution income of which 62% were collected between June –December 2018.

In the area of benefit payments, Daboh said, as at December, 2018, the Trust paid a total of Le 148.5 billion as pensions under the various categories, Retirement,Invalidity and Survivors between January to December 2018.
Apart from the court, management will soon be rolling out an attractive Social Security Scheme that will appropriately address the special needs of workers in the informal sector.

As management intends to engage credible partners in a joint venture to invest in the construction of an ultra-modern diagnostic center that will help in addressing the current diagnostic gap faced by the country, which has resulted in many untimely deaths that would have been prevented
Daboh said,talks are at an advanced stage with Gouji Construction Company, a Chinese company for the construction of five blocks of student hostels with ancillary facilities on five university campuses across the country. Each of the five campuses will comprise of 216 rooms with facility for 432 students

In conclusion, Daboh said, in order to guarantee enhanced relationship between customers and the Trust, his management has launched the following telephone hotlines, 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816 and 817 with Orange and Africell networks to give members of the public the opportunity to express their concerns and make suggestions.