Supply department, SSC to share information on private contractors

AMMAN — Government tenders floated to the private sector will now be monitored by the Social Security Corporation (SSC), under a memorandum of understanding signed with the General Supplies Department (GSD) on Sunday.

An electronic inquiry system will connect the two bodies, enabling them to share information about private suppliers and examine their commitment to including their employees in the social security system.

SSC Director General Nadia Rawabdeh and GSD Director General Ahmad Mashaqbah signed the memo, which encourages private institutions to rectify the insurance situation of their employees and to pay their dues to the SSC.

Rawabdeh said that under the memo, the SSC will declare bidding suppliers as “committed or uncommitted” to the corporation’s regulations after checking the number of employees and if their social security subscriptions match their real salaries.

“The agreement seeks to eliminate [the private sector’s] insurance evasion, and help private and public institutions decrease their debt and boost their contributions to development,” she told reporters, adding that the agreement also aims to extend social security coverage.

According to a previous agreement, the GSD does not pay any private supplier before receiving confirmation from the SSC that the supplier is committed to subscribing workers in the social security system and has paid the insurance dues to the corporation, Rawabdeh said.

Mashaqbah said the GSD will not accept bids from uncommitted institutes.

“The agreement aims to provide further social protection for the work force in private institutions,” he said, highlighting the role of social security in creating an attractive environment for investors. 

Musa Sbeihi, head of the SSC media office, told The Jordan Times that most of the suppliers of cleaning services for public institutions violate the social security rights of their workers, adding that the corporation has received several complaints from workers in this field. 

“The SCC recommendations are not binding for the GSD, but the department is willing to follow its comments regarding suppliers’ commitment to SSC regulations,” he said.

Institutions that do not violate social security rules are less likely to violate their agreements with the government, Sbeihi added.

The agreement will also help the SSC collect the unpaid dues of private institutions, the official noted, adding that the total amount of unpaid dues to the corporation from all sectors is around JD100 million. 

“The agreement will help private institutions pay their dues in order to be eligible to bid for the government’s tenders,” he said.