By Ramesh Mathew
In what could be considered as a model social security scheme for low-income expatriates, an Indian group in Qatar has disbursed at least QR5.8mn since its inception 14 years ago.
The scheme’s success gains relevance in the light of the fact that a vast majority of the between 15,000 and 25,000 workers of the country’s groceries, restaurants and cafeterias are not covered by any insurance.
The issue came to the fore in the wake of reports that seven restaurant workers, who were killed in a gas tank explosion at Duhail, in north Doha, on February 27, were not covered under any accident insurance scheme.
The social security scheme, launched by Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) Qatar in 2000, has nearly 5,000 members. The forum has a membership of close to 22,000.
One needs to pay just QR20 to join the social security scheme and at the death of a member, every member pays QR10 to the fund.
More than QR4mn (Rs65mn) have so far been disbursed to dependents of 144 members who have died, according to the scheme’s co-ordinators. Also, more than QR1.8mn (Rs31mn) has been given for nearly 500 members who have left the country for good.
Under the scheme, the legal heirs of the members who die are entitled to get financial assistance of about QR36,000 (Rs600,000). The fund managers plan to “revamp” the scheme from July this year “to make it more attractive to the members”.
While the members of the scheme who remained in Qatar for five years were initially given about QR6,000 (Rs100,000) when they left the country for good, the fund managers were forced to halve it to QR3,000 (Rs50,000) as the number of the members leaving the country have shot up considerably in recent years.
From July onwards, those who have completed 10 years of membership in the social security scheme would be given about QR12,000 (Rs200,000) if he is leaving the country for good. Another QR12,000 will also be given if he requires to undergo treatment for any major illness.
The fund managers plan to enhance the compensation for kith and kin of members dying from the present Rs600,000.
