Kathmandu, Nov. 28 -- On Wednesday, inside the Bhrikuti Mandap Park, Kabindra Lama and a group of men were carefully listening to government officials who were hailing the progress of the Contribution-based Social Security Scheme on its first anniversary.

Lama, who works as a foreman with the Agni Mahindra Group, has already enrolled in the social security scheme that was rolled out to cover formal private-sector workers of the country. However, he still has some reservations regarding how the social security scheme will benefit him and his family. And he is not alone.

The predicament of workers like Lama reflects the slower than anticipated progress of the social security scheme, which has seen a lukewarm response from both employees a...