Selangor Journal
Picture shown for illustration purposes only. — Picture via UNSPLASH

Socso committed to ensure implementation of Budget 2023 initiatives

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 27 — The Social Security Organisation (Socso) is committed to ensuring that all of its 54 offices nationwide are ready to implement government initiatives under Budget 2023, in strengthening the country’s social protection and empowering the local labour market.

Its chief executive, Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said through Budget 2023, Socso has been allocated more than RM313 million to implement five national social protection initiatives and five active labour market programmes this year.

“Social security protection initiatives announced in Budget 2023 are the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) matching grant, Housewives Social Security Scheme (SKSSR) contribution grant, post-Covid-19 health screening programme, childcare grant for women returning to the workforce and additional protection through the Lindung+.

“As for the labour market empowerment initiative, it covers, among other things, the employment transition programme for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates and school leavers; informal gig riders career building programme; extension of targeted employee employment incentive and the development of MYFutureJobs satellite centres in Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) nationwide,” he said.

He said that, under the self-employed contribution matching initiative, Socso will expand the government’s contribution matching assistance, with 80 per cent funding of the SKSPS contribution plan for three new sectors, namely sports, education and agents.

“Full contribution funding continues for volunteers in the public sector such as Civil Defence Force volunteers, community rehabilitation workers, volunteer firefighters, houses of worship employees and the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), as well as contract civil servants.

“A total of RM100 million has been allocated for this initiative, which is expected to benefit more than 540,000 individuals,” he said, adding that currently only 34 per cent, or 713,122 out of 2.1 million self-employed individuals, participate in SKSPS.

For the SKSSR initiative, Mohammed Azman said that Socso will focus social protection coverage on housewives from poor households, through the allocation of RM25 million to protect 338,000 housewives for 12 months.

He said that to encourage women to return to work after maternity leave, Socso will amend its Act to allocate childcare grants.

“A one-month grant, equivalent to 80 per cent of the insured salary value of workers, is available for approximately 136,800 women who return to work after maternity leave.

“This involves a benefit payment of RM292 million per year, and these women will be assisted to return to work through the MYFutureJobs job placement programme,” he said.

He said that Socso will also work with private insurance providers to implement the Lindung+ initiative, which provides social security protection plans beyond the scope of the existing protection.

To address the issue of mismatch in terms of skills of job seekers and industry needs, he said that KerjayaTVET will focus on the place and train programme, which allows employers to send youths, especially TVET graduates, who are employed, to undergo competency-based training by government-approved training providers.

“As a leader in social security, Socso is committed to ensuring an inclusive and comprehensive social security network, without marginalising any party, through the improvement of benefits and the extension of protection to those who are not yet protected.

“Hence, the government’s initiatives contained in the 2023 Budget entrusted to Socso will be implemented with full accountability and transparency,” he said.

— Bernama

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