Exploring Investment Governance within Social Security Organization: A Key to SDG Achievement

Abstract

The Employees Provident Fund is a prominent Social Security Organization in Nepal, and it aims to invest the long-term savings it accumulates in various sectors of national and infrastructure development. This investment is intended to create diverse employment opportunities for Nepali citizens, all while maintaining a robust governance mechanism to safeguard the collected contributions, ensuring there are no losses. This strategy aligns with the goal of achieving sustainable development. In order to address the pressing issue of unemployment, which has been consistently raised as a concern by the International Labor Organization, there is an imminent requirement to adapt and enhance the investment framework within the broader Investment Governance concept. This adaptation is necessary to actively generate job opportunities in the areas where unemployment is a significant concern. The main objective of this research is to assess the awareness of current contributors to the Employees Provident Fund regarding Investment Governance and Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it aims to validate the developed theory of Investment Governance and its impact on achieving SDGs in practical terms. Furthermore, this study intends to offer insights into the current state of the Employees Provident Fund's investment mechanism, serving as a valuable resource. The result shows that the existing contributors to the Employees Provident Fund in Nepal are highly aware of investment governance. Furthermore, the study has confirmed the accuracy of the developed theory through these tests involving the contributors of the Employees Provident Fund. This fund is a prominent Social Security Organization in Nepal and plays a vital role in focusing its long-term savings on investments in key sectors such as social (health, production, education, and tourism) and the environment. These investments are crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in generating employment, which is a significant aspect of the 8th goal among the SDGs. Beyond examining investment governance, this study also highlights the importance of further exploration into the role of the Employees Provident Fund in advancing national development.