Dear political leaders of all parties,
Which type of social securities are being provided under Social Security Fund (SSF) in upcoming days, that has more benefits than existing Empolyment provident fund (EPF) and Citizen Investnment trust (CIT) ? What is the main objective of SSF ? Is it to give security to those people who are now receiving certain security from their organization to some extent OR for those who are not getting any benefits of social security?
Should SSF expand the scope in all large unorganized sectors to assure retirement benefits payment or focus on management of retirement benefits of few organized sectors? What will be the position of EPF/CIT on a going concern basis? What will be the position of the production and consumption cycle for economic growth?
Who is mad and who is foolish in this protest? Not a single leader of any political party has spoken about these current hot issues, why? Are you all afraid of losing your vote bank to speak? Who is first responsible for their own and their family's security? Do we have free education and health service? Do we have guaranteed all fundamental rights of the constitution to all people equally? Do you critically analyze the financial, social and legal impact of SSF to our society? What will happen in your vote bank if all protestors are spreading rumors of senior citizenship allowance on which all political parties are silent? If all these educated people start to say even back of senior citizens allowance, what will happen in your political vote bank? Are we able to fully apply all provisions of the Labor Act and SSF Act to all applicable organizations?
What is the demand and supply of labor for national production? Are you sure to provide security from SSF? How can you fulfill all the social obligations of protester after retirement like construction/ purchase of residential house, purchase of plot of land/ vehicle, higher education of children, repayment of loan, medical treatment, business startup, entrepreneurship creation for next generation, marriage of son/ daughter and etc.? Why is the pension amount below the normal interest rate of bank and financial institutions ? Why do not SSF return back the principal amount but PF/ CIT returns the principal with interest at the time of retirement? Where does the principal amount go? Who shall be the ultimate beneficiary of a contributor's account in SSF after the death of the contributor? Is there no time value of money and have no opportunity income from retirement amount in coming days?
Should SSF be either voluntary or compulsory as per the fundamental rights of people? Who has provided jobs in these private sectors? Is it easy to get a job in the private sector? What is the contribution of the private sector in national GDP? Why is the pension amount different to private and government level employees for the same level of job work? They are also tax payers and pay up to 36% tax which is the highest tax rate of our country.
Do we have government employees who are paying this much amount of income tax to the government? What is the role of the government to provide jobs in the private sector? What is the percentage of tax amount from all these protesters in government revenue in Income Tax head? What is job security in the private sector? They do not want any political protest and doing peacefully on an overloaded target.
Please take this issue very seriously and try to address dear all political leaders otherwise the great social disparity will arise in the coming days and to be rethought for another vote bank.
Happy to see peaceful Nepal!
Writer is a Social Campaigner.
