Only 337,765 self-employed individuals contribute to SKSPS

KUANTAN: Only 337,765 out of more than five million self-employed individuals have registered for the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) as of Nov 5, said Deputy Minister of Human Resources Datuk Awang Hashim.

He said efforts to increase the number of informal sector workers to contribute to the scheme were being intensified by the Social Security Organisation (Socso), to ensure they were properly protected.

"Those who have not yet contributed are encouraged to do so as soon as possible for their own benefit as SKSPS benefits are not only limited to medical benefits but also include permanent disability benefits, temporary disability benefits, dependents' benefits and so on.

"Therefore, we will redouble our efforts to ensure more people contribute (to SKSPS) and our officers are placed on key performance indicators (KPIs) to focus on ensuring this objective is achieved," he said.

Awang said this at a press conference after officiating at the East Coast Zone Informal-Fisheries Sector 'Safe and Healthy Work Workshop' at Kampung Kempadang Public Hall here today.

He said among the informal sectors involved in making their own contributions were fisheries with 35,574 workers, passenger transport (15,610 workers), agriculture (1,414 workers) and livestock (138 workers).

For Pahang, Awang, who is also chairman of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH), said there were 11,064 informal sector workers who had contributed to SKSPS, with 11.3 per cent or 1,244 contributors comprising fisheries sector workers.

"We will work with the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) to raise awareness on the protection of this scheme among fishermen nationwide because their work is also risky," he said.

On a related development, he said a total of 679 accident cases for the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors were recorded by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) as of last September, with 11 cases involving deaths.

-- BERNAMA