By Ibrahim Mansaray

Freetown, 13th April 2026- The Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Mohamed Fuaad Daboh,  has announced that a transformative Informal Sector Scheme Bill has officially received Cabinet approval and is prepared for its transition into law.

Speaking at NASSIT’s annual press cocktail held at the Freetown International Conference Centre on April 9,  Daboh highlighted the bill as a cornerstone of the institution’s mission to provide a safety net for every Sierra Leonean worker.

 

The proposed legislation aims to bridge the gap between formal and informal employment, providing a structured framework to protect traders, artisans, and other self-employed individuals who have historically been excluded from traditional social security benefits.

 

The Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security will soon lay the document before Parliament, he Daboh said.

 

He also applauded the government’s recent minimum wage increase as a catalyst for growth, expressing expectations that the move will boost both the volume of contributions and the value of future benefits for all members.

 

Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, delivering the keynote address, turned the focus to the journalists in the room. He expressed concern over the low participation rates within the media industry, urging practitioners to treat their NASSIT contributions as a non-negotiable priority.

 

“It is disappointing to note that a significant number of journalists are not contributing to NASSIT,” the Minister stated. “This is about your future. Subscribing to social security guarantees financial stability after retirement.”

 

Swaray further challenged media owners to comply with their statutory obligations, ensuring that all staff are registered and that contributions are remitted without delay.

 

 

Echoing the importance of the media’s role, SLAJ President Alhaji Manika Kamara described the industry as a vital tool for democracy and national development.

 

While reaffirming the need for journalists to enroll in the scheme, he appealed to NASSIT to deepen its relationship with the press.

 

Kamara specifically called on the Trust to invest in media sustainability and capacity-building initiatives through the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ).

 

The event also served as a progress report for NASSIT’s broader operations. Daboh encouraged journalists to adopt data-driven reporting to help the public better understand social security statistics.

 

In a final update on institutional development, NASSIT announced that the Sewa Grounds facility is now fully operational.

 

The evening concluded with a networking session, reinforcing the partnership between NASSIT and the media.