Tuk-Tuk Drivers to Join Health Fund
Photo: Lay Sopheavotey
- By Lay Sopheavotey
- March 30, 2023 7:34 PM
PHNOM PENH – Tuk-Tuk drivers will receive membership of the social security fund, allowing them to make use of healthcare services.
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Gret organization are implementing a pilot project on the fund for self-employed individuals, focusing on tuk-tuk drivers in Phnom Penh.
The project will become the study mechanism to expand the scope of the social security fund for self-employed individuals, the NSSF says. This was crucial for the government to implement its social protection policy.
Vorn Pov, president of the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA), welcomed the project, saying it gave positive hope for informal workers.
About 2,000 tuk-tuk drivers at IDEA will register for the healthcare service, he said. If registration is smooth, about 10,000 members will have their names registered for the NSSF membership cards.
Ouk Somvithya, director-general of the NSSF, said this pilot project was implemented with the support of the Agence Française de Développement, focusing on human resource development, technical assistance and financial support.
He asked tricycle drivers and NSSF members to speak about their challenges using the fund’s social service.
“If you have any problems, directly contact the NSSF officials or 1258 so that the NSSF team can solve the problems in a timely way,” said Somvithya.
Vorn Pov said registration is convenient as only national identity cards and vehicle identification cards are required. Informal workers can have their names registered online and at the NSSF offices.
However he was worried that if economic hardship causes the income of the informal workers to plunge. They may not be able to afford to contribute to the NSSF.
Tuk-tuk will have to pay a contribution fee of 15,600 riel or about $4 per month through partner banks. After paying the contribution for two months, they will be able to use the treatment and health care services.
Pov also noted that the promotion of the project to allow tuk-tuk riders to obtain NSSF membership is still not widely known.
Informal workers account for more than 65 percent of the Cambodian economy.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Teng Yalirozy for Cambodianess.
