ETF benefits for self-employed
Ramani Kangaraarachchi
The Government has implemented a mechanism to get the contribution of
all self-employed people to the Employees Trust Fund (ETF) through the
Samurdhi Authority.
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A self-employed |
ETF's Working Director P. Tissa Kuttiarachchi told Daily News
Business that this will be done on a voluntary basis.
However all those who obtain membership will be entitled to all the
benefits as other permanent members.
He said there are about four million self-employed people in the
country. But only 20,000 self-employed people have contributed to the
Fund.
The Government has launched a series of awareness programs to educate
people who are involved in self-employment projects on the benefits of
having the ETF membership.
A minimum of Rs 200 will be charged as the membership fee and they
will be entitled to all benefits.
Farmers, masons, carpenters and many other categories can get this
membership voluntarily.
The membership fund at present is Rs 110 billion and the members get
13 percent interest for their contribution.
The member benefits include automatic life insurance cover, permanent
and total disability insurance cover, intra ocular lens reimbursement
cost, financial assistance for heart surgeries and kidney implants,
financial grant to children who qualify the grade five scholarship
examination, hospitalization, medical insurance and a housing loan
scheme. |
