Self-employed to contribute to special Socso scheme

PETALING JAYA: Self-employed workers in all job sectors will soon be required to contribute to the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS).

Social Security Organisation (Socso) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said mandatory contributions would be introduced in stages to all sectors, especially those of higher risk, such as transportation, agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries.

“The initiative will involve strategic collaboration between Socso and regulatory agencies such as the Road Transport Department, Muda Agricultural Development Authority, Fisheries Development Board Malaysia, Tekun National, National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas), local authorities and others,” he said in a statement.

Azman said as of Sept 28 this year, a total of 562,797 self-employed individuals had registered under the scheme.

He said the government would bear 80% of the SKSPS contribution payment of those who registered under the scheme.

The government, he added, would also continue to provide full contributions to self-employed workers who serve as volunteers in public sectors such as the Malaysian Civil Defence Force and People’s Volunteer Corps.

Meanwhile, to help with the national unemployment rate, Azman said Sosco has been given a RM150mil allocation by the government to implement the Employment Incentive Programme that would create career opportunities for over 70,000 job seekers nationwide.

He said several new categories of employment were introduced for employers to choose from. These include those aged 18 to 30 who have been jobless for three months; job seekers in the field of the digital sector and information and communication technology; and graduates from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

“An incentive of RM600 to RM750 per month for three months will be given to employers who hire employees from the target group, such as those with disabilities, women, former prisoners, military retirees, indigenous people and workers in the tourism sector.

“We have also introduced a new category whereby elderly workers can be appointed by government-linked companies (GLCs) for the purpose of sharing their experiences and to allow them to generate income,” he said.

The employment initiative also allows employers to replace foreign workers with locals through the Malaysianisation programme, he added.

Azman said job seekers who found a job through the hiring incentive programme could apply for mobility aid. He also said that those who found a job outside of their home state would get RM500 in financial assistance and those who travelled from Sabah or Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia, or vice versa, would get RM1,000.

Socso and the Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) would also establish the National Placement Centre in the Klang Valley, which would act as a one-stop centre and function as a lifelong learning centre for the purpose of giving exposure on the current labour market to graduates.

“The centre will adopt the concept of ‘experiential learning’, which also offers job matching services and provides recommendations based on the employee’s skill gap,” he added.

Azman said Sosco was also responsible for performing health screenings for workers.

“The (Socso Health Screening) programme aims to provide early detection of non-communicable diseases and to allow for early action for employee healthcare.

“Through this programme, Socso contributors aged 40 and above who are eligible will have the opportunity to undergo health screenings.

“The government allocation of RM80mil through the 2023 Budget allows for the programme to be improved by offering additional screenings to detect and prevent critical diseases,” he said, adding that the initiative will benefit 2.3 million workers.