By: Kruah Thompson
As a means of celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the National Social Security & Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) has announced that Management will give a one-off payment of US$50.00 to each beneficiary per month for standing by the Corporation to achieve this milestone.
The establishment of this new benefit floor is NASSCORP’s way of contributing to poverty alleviation and cost-of-living adjustment in Liberia.
Making the disclosure at NASSCORP’s 50th Anniversary held in Monrovia over the weekend, the Corporation’s Director General, Dewitt B. VonBallmoos, noted that hereafter, the least benefit that will be paid to a beneficiary is US$50.00 per month.
Additionally, he noted that while operating only the Employment Injury Scheme during the decade of the ’80s, the young corporation was able to pay out benefits to beneficiaries in the total amount of US$3.4 million, thereby rekindling the hopes of the Liberian workers and their dependents.
VonBallmoos, who was first appointed by President Sirleaf and reappointed by President Weah, was delivering a stirring keynote address on the occasion when he made the disclosure.
He thanked the United Nations and the International Labor Organization (ILO) for the technical assistance they provided NASSCORP, which entailed actuarial studies, surveys, and the drafting of legislations that ensured the birth of the Corporation in 1975 and continued thereafter, leading to the launching of the Employment Injury and the National Pension Schemes on February 1, 1980, and September 1, 1988, respectively.
“The remarkable achievements of the Corporation stand as a testament to the unwavering dedication, efficiency, and hard work of our committed employees. Their collective efforts have been instrumental in transforming NASSCORP into a vital institution that not only upholds its core mandate but also fosters growth, innovation, and service excellence. We are justly proud of our workforce, whose professionalism and commitment continue to propel us forward.”
He added that over the past 12 years of his administration, he has spared no effort in embedding the principles of good governance, discipline, transparency, and unwavering dedication to duty throughout all facets of the Corporation’s operations.
“These principles have become the bedrock of our organizational culture, ensuring accountability and integrity in our delivery service. I am sincerely grateful for the trust placed in me by both the previous and current government administrations to serve as Director General of this cherished institution. It has been an honor and a privilege to lead NASSCORP through various phases of growth and transformation.”
He expressed deep appreciation to all their partners for ensuring that they continue to fulfill their social responsibility of providing security, dignity, and welfare to their retirees and the wider community.
“NASSCORP’s journey over the past decades reflects a collective commitment to excellence, resilience, and progress. We look forward to continued growth, innovation, and service to the nation as we strive to build a more inclusive and prosperous future for all.”
He thanked Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., former President George Manneh Weah, and former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who first gave him the opportunity, privilege, and honor to serve the Corporation as Deputy Director General and Director General successively, and the Chairman and members of the Board of Directors for their diligence and support.
“As we observe the 50th Anniversary of NASSCORP, I take this time to pay deserved tribute to the founding fathers and other trailblazers who laid the firm foundation upon which the Corporation is being built. I salute all the former Directors General of this noble institution for individually contributing to its growth and development. I pay special homage to Mr. Francis M. Carbah, with whom I started as Deputy Director General, for the mentorship, grooming, and great latitude he gave me in the administration of NASSCORP, in sharing in the execution of all of its programs, and believing in my ability to succeed him. Reflecting on this Corporation’s past, I am reminded of the transformation it went through from a subsidy receiving entity under the aegis of the then Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs to an autonomous double-digit multimillion-dollar Corporation within five years (by 1985), after the launching of the Employment Injury Scheme on February 1, 1980. I am also reminded of a little entity that rented several private buildings for its offices for nearly three decades, that now has its own corporate headquarters and regional hubs.”
In conclusion, VonBallmoos indicated that NASSCORP’s journey over the past decades reflects a collective commitment to excellence, resilience, and progress. “We look forward to continued growth, innovation, and service to the nation as we strive to build a more inclusive and prosperous future for all.”
“Happy 50th Anniversary to NASSCORP! Happy and enjoyable celebration to all and sundry!”
