By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahaman Swaray on Friday 10th December 2021 urged Media owners to comply with the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) by registering the company and also paying for their staff as mandated.
The Minister made this call at the press cocktail organized by NASSIT at Radisson Blu Mammy Yoko hotel in Freetown. He said he was happy that the media has started to comply with the relevant provisions of NASSIT, a desire of his ministry in ensuring media practitioners are socially secured.
“I want to implore those of you yet to comply with the relevant provisions in the social security scheme to do so now. It is merely an opportunity to ensure that you save for a rainy day. Employers you have a responsibility to ensure that your employees are registered with NASSIT and pay up your contributions,” he said.
He also urged media practitioners to join the Mid- Term Census Campaign by dedicating their resources to ensure that Sierra Leoneans are counted, saying the census is essential for national development planning.
In his statement, the Chairman of the Independent Media Commission (IMC), George S. Khoryama said the NASSIT-Media relationship is a result of determination by the former Director-General of NASSIT and the IMC to create an enabling, respectful, and law-abiding media in Sierra Leone centered on the IMC ACT 2020.
“The IMC could not afford the luxury to regulate the media only on their rights, wrong and responsibilities, fine suspensions, or close them down by the powers vested in the commission. It is equally our duty to seek sustainable welfare for all practicing journalists in the country,” he said.
The Chairman assured that the IMC- NASSIT initiative is working, noting that since the launch of the initiative, the commission has not received any complaints of non-compliance by media institutions.
He added that the partnership could be a forerunner of the long-awaited prospect for private corporate interest in the media. He, therefore, urged the media to make use of the partnership and promote investment opportunities in Sierra Leone.
Speaking on behalf of the NASSIT Director General, Mohamed Fuad Daboh, Amadu F. Denkeh said the NASSIT scheme is compulsory for all workers in the private sector, and as long as there is an employer-employee relationship, “it is the responsibility of the employer to make sure that the employees are registered with NASSIT and contributions are paid on their behalf.
Giving an overview of their engagement with the media, he said the institution has held press conferences to update journalists on the scheme, held press seminars, fostered a partnership with the IMC, among others to give them firsthand information about the Trust.
In his statement, the President of the Sierra Leone Association of journalists, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, called on the Trust to invest in the media especially by providing printing press facilities for the print media industry in Sierra Leone. This he said has been a major challenge for print media institutions across the country. He assured that SLAJ will continue to encourage its members to comply with the provisions of SLAJ.
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