By Mustapha Jallow
Authorities of the Social Security & Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), on Tuesday outlined a two billion, forty-five million and nine thousand, two hundred and two dalasi (D2, 045, 009,202) strategic plan, to achieve its goals in five years.
This disclosure was unveiled during a review and validation of the SSHFC’s 2022/2026 strategic plan, prepared by BJM Management Consultants who said the above amount will help the Corporation better fulfil its mandate and mission to serve its membership and external stakeholders.
They further indicated that the validation aims to offer value to members of the Corporation by strengthening investment management for long term growth and sustainability, to improve internal service delivery processes, strengthen corporate governance processes and performance management system, and to provide affordable housing while enhancing the corporate image of the Corporation.
The plan was reviewed and validated by stakeholders from different institutions such as GRA, government ministries and departments, and SSHCF board members and stakeholders.
“The strategic themes attest to our commitment to achieving excellence through our core functions of contribution collections, benefit payments and the provision of affordable housing for the populace, as well as our duty to engage stakeholders and the community,” Abdoulie Tambadou, Managing Director for SSHCF told the gathering while delivering his welcoming remarks at a local hotel in Bakau.
Mr. Tambadou explained that the strategic plan is a maiden plan since the inception of the Corporation in 1981. Adding it is a clearly thought-out document and a welcome development for the management, members, partners, and Government as a whole.
“We aim to further provide timely, convenient and customer-centric services at all levels, by the end of the implementation period of the strategic and beyond. This is even more critical during this planning period due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on lives and livelihoods, whose impact has never been foreseen few years ago,” he said.
Mr. Tambedou also added that the process of formulating a new strategic plan at SSHCF, has given them the opportunity to take stock of past successes and shortcomings, in order to determine ‘our’ visions and future goals in the awake of challenges ahead. He said they will put forward strategies for their development not only in response to the changing needs of the general
membership, but also as an active and participating agent to drive and ensure social protection, shelter delivery, and prudent investment of members’ funds.
“We shall continue to engage our membership not only to ensure timely contribution collections and benefit payments, but to also increase the quality and size of the membership. We will at the same time foster positive partnership with sister social security institutions in the sun-region and beyond, with a view to ensure that our members benefit from international best practices and products,” he assured.
Bakary Marong, Managing Director/CEO for BJM Management Consultants, said their task is to review and update the strategic plan and how best to move it forward; adding it was important that they did not conclude the process without getting SSHCF officials and other stakeholders in a forum, to look at what they have put together.
“If Social Security is not well positioned, it will be bankrupt as we have seen in first world countries. We do not have such in the Gambia and we do not want it to be like that. This why we call on you to validate what we think will make us sustainable for the period that we are looking at,” Mr. J. Rener, Board Chairperson of Social Security told the gathering.
