Bosses warned to pay up for NHI, social security

Employers have been warned to pay their workers’ health insurance and social security contributions on time.

Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley said company bosses have a “moral” duty to ensure that the National Health Insurance programme and the Social Security Board are properly funded.

“National Health Insurance is the cornerstone of social protection in our territory,” Mr. Wheatley said last Thursday in a statement delivered in the House of Assembly.

He also called for employers struggling to make payments to reach out to the NHI and Social Security boards to organise contributions rather than face penalties.

“Paying contributions is not only a statutory obligation: It is a moral contribution to the wellbeing of the people and the resilience of our economy,” the minister said.

He added that the safety-net programmes are designed to be inclusive and are essential since illness or accidents can strike at any time.

“Social security and National Health Insurance are a safety net that should be protected,” he said. “I call upon all employers to pay contributions on time.”

The NHI system, in which employees and workers split the cost of payment, was introduced in January 2016.

The social security system, which functions similarly, was launched in 1980.