SSF gets lukewarm response from firms Kathmandu, February 18 Only a quarter of formal sector private firms of Kathmandu valley have submitted details to the Social Security Fund (SSF) as the deadline for registration of companies and their employees in the government-run social security scheme expired today. The lukewarm response from the private sector is expected to affect the government’s plan to formally rollout the contribution-based social security scheme from June. The social security scheme covers employees with a slew of insurance packages, including health and workplace accident insurance. The SSF said it received details from only around 1,800 private firms of the valley as of today. The valley is home to over 7,000 formal sector private firms. “The company registration deadline set by the government has expired today. We will not entertain applications from firms from Tuesday,” said SSF Director Shankar Nepal, adding, the SSF has not decided on what to do next. “We will entertain applications from private firms only if the government extends the deadline,” Nepal said. Some of the firms that have registered their details at the SSF are Jawalakhel Group of Industries, MAW Enterprises, Park Village Hotel, Raj Brewery, Asian Distillery, Universal Power Company, Himalayan Distillery, Helvetas, Sanima Mai Hydropower, Deurali Trade Links, Everest Insurance, CG Food Enterprises, CG Packaging Nepal, CG Brewery and CG Biotech. The contribution-based social security scheme unveiled by the government on November 27 is mandatory to all private sector firms. The SSF has directed firms based in country’s other parts to register their details by mid-April. Under the contribution-based social security scheme, private sector employees will have to contribute 11 per cent of their basic salary to the fund, while employers will have to contribute another 20 per cent of the employees’ basic salary to the fund. If everything goes as planned, Social Security Fund will start collecting monthly instalments from June 22.