The Jordanian Labor Watch confirmed that there are imbalances in the implementation of the “Sustainability ++” program, which burdened hundreds of public drivers who benefited from it with the burden of social security contributions throughout the duration of the program.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Jordanian Labor Watch explained that when the program targeted public drivers in 2022 to support their social security contributions in the 50 percent segment of the old-age insurance over 18 months, it obligated them to bear only 89 piasters per month of their contributions in order to reduce the burden on them.
However, according to their statements, the drivers were surprised after the expiration of the program; they were surprised by the accumulation of the full value of the contributions retroactively, that is, since their inclusion in the guarantee, and became required to pay them without any clear justifications from the Social Security Institute, except that the system of inclusion in the slides was canceled with the amendments to the security law last year.
Some drivers have accumulated more than 1,000 dinars, which they say is beyond their ability to pay, the Jordanian Labor Watch said.
The Jordanian Labor Watch questioned the reasons for such imbalances, especially since the program is designed to support workers' contributions in an unregulated manner without imposing any financial burdens on them.
The Jordanian Labor Watch believes that the idea of the “Sustainability ++” program is a good idea that contributes to expanding the scope of social security coverage, but it was not implemented in a clear and transparent manner, which made the beneficiaries of the program feel cheated.
The Jordanian Labor Watch urged the Social Security Institution to correct these imbalances and rectify the situation of these beneficiaries, who are not guilty of bearing the burden of the contributions that have accumulated without informing them.
He stressed the need to adhere to clarity and transparency when implementing such programs, because the trust factor is one of the most important reasons for the success of the Social Security Institution in its performance and programs.
It is time to think about how to develop other appropriate, effective, sustainable, and affordable tools and mechanisms to expand the social security umbrella.
The “Sustainability ++” program, funded by the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Norway and coordinated and supervised by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, targets enterprises operating in the agricultural sector (agricultural holdings) as well as small, micro, and medium enterprises with ten or fewer workers, regardless of their nationality, and self-employed individuals, both Jordanians and non-Jordanians, in the tourism sector (with a focus on tourist guides) and the transportation sector (with a focus on yellow taxi drivers).