Making the Social Security System Sustainable

Investment as a Strategic Choice for the NSIF

In keeping with its policy of transparency, the Social Security Institution in Cameroon has chosen to invest its funds in promising sectors in order to ensure its long-term survival.

 Today's widespread concerns about financial viability, rising operating costs, and the adequacy of services make optimising investments imperative. As the Top Manager of the NSIF points out: “Consolidating reserves to guarantee the sustainability of social benefits is the main challenge facing Social Security Institutions. In an increasingly unstable socio-economic environment, we must, in any case, honour our commitments to our socially insured persons and to future generations”.

 In order to achieve this, the NSIF's actual reserves must be invested to guarantee the long-term future of the system it manages, without, however, dipping into social contributions, mainly for the functioning of the Institution. The objectives of these investments are security, liquidity, and return. According to the Top Manager: “We target opportunities that offer the best guarantees of economic and social profitability, which has enabled us to generate substantial income”.

 Cash reserves cover the equivalent of 15 months of benefits across all branches, and total funds can cover 4.5 years of social security payments without collecting a single penny.

 Financial investments are made with a view to reducing the imbalance in support functions, whose main expense is linked to salaries. As of the 31^st of December 2022, financial income covered 91% of the payroll, compared with 1.4% in 2008 and 78% in 2021, which will in the long term ensure greater stability in the level of contributions and a continuous increase in the level of benefits paid.

Thanks to this rigorous management, the NSIF has received several international awards, of which 43 are for good practice and 4 for certification by the ISSA for successful implementation of its guidelines.

 In any case, the Director General urges all those wishing to obtain accurate information to contact the NSIF or its website at www.cnps.cm.