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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Social Security Fund has been elected as the focal point for the implementation of the International Social Security Association’s (ISSA) activities in East Africa.
ISSA is the world’s international organisation for social security institutions, government departments, and agencies, with over 320 member institutions from 160 countries.
Its main objective is to promote excellence in social security administration through professional guidelines, expert knowledge, services, and support to enable its members to develop dynamic social security systems and policies throughout the world.
Speaking at the launch of the liaison office on Aug.30 in Kampala, Patrick Ayota, NSSF Managing Director said that the Fund was elected to host the ISSA’s regional office at the last World Social Security Forum in Marrakech, Morocco in October last year.
“The Liaison Office will be responsible for promoting dialogue and cooperation between ISSA members in the East Africa region, organizing technical seminars on regional priority topics, hosting ISSA Academy workshops, and promoting the sharing of good practices in line with the ISSA guidelines.
The Fund also hosted its inaugural technical seminar under the theme “Leveraging digitalization and innovation to extend social security coverage in East Africa” as part of the launch activities of the center.
Domonic Gidudu, state minister for the elderly challenged NSSF and the regional pension institutions to provide more value for their members in health, education, agriculture, and financial empowerment.
“From research conducted by the Fund, NSSF savers have over the years said that they would like to be empowered and derive more value throughout their journey with the Fund from the point of entry to exit,” Gidudu said.
The ISSA Secretary General, Marcelo Abi-Ramia Caetano said, “We will identify the social security needs in the regional member states through the newly opened regional center and collaborate with them to make lives better.”
The regional office will cover member institutions in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
