Nepal, Dec. 24 -- As of December 20, nearly 2.7 million private-sector workers in Nepal have been brought under the ambit of the social security system. Until recently, however, access to health insurance, pensions and other social security benefits was widely regarded as the exclusive privilege of a limited number of public servants. This development marks a significant transformation toward fulfilling the constitutional promise of social justice and social democracy.

Nepal has, indeed, made commendable progress in establishing legal and institutional frameworks to strengthen and expand its social security system. The Contribution-Based Social Security Act 2017, along with its accompanying regulations, provides social security coverage ...