Employees have all reasons to smile as they have been guaranteed of their pension benefits since the employers and pension funds will from now bear the penalties for failure to remit their monthly deductions.
Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA), Head of Public Relations and Promotion, Ms Sarah Kibonde
Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA), Head of Public Relations and Promotion, Ms Sarah Kibonde told journalists here that unlike before, the employees are now assured of getting their retirement benefit.
“One needs to have a copy of salary slip which shows that the employer has deducted money for the pension funds, should he fail to remit them, the pension funds will be responsible,” she said. In recent months there have been complaints from workers whose salary were being deducted for the pension but the employers were not remitting them.
She added that the authority has to make such a room for accountability for both the pension funds and employers, to ensure that they make close follow up for collection of the workers monthly remittances. Ms Kibonde said it has come to their attention that unfaithful workers of some pension funds have been making follow up to employers who have not remitted the employees deductions whom have been given them some money and let them free.
“As a result, an employee retires with expectations of having his/her benefit instead they are told that the employers was not sending the monthly contribution, thus being given a task to make follow up for the money which had been slashed throughout his/her service,” she said.
Moreover, she said, the pension funds have to pay the pensioner on time failure of which they will pay with an additional 15 per cent penalty. Moreover, the SSRA director general, Ms Irene Isaka said as regulators they are finalising regulations which will control spending of the pension funds finances.
She said it has been realised that some of the pension funds have high spending, thus to control the pensioners funds, SSRA is working out on the rules to that effect. Director of Research, Actuarial and Policy Development, Mr Ansgar Mushi said only three per cent of the Tanzanians have enrolled them within the five Mainland Pension Funds.
He said since January to March, this year, SSRA has managed to resolve 370 cases majority on which are due to failure to get their benefit because the employers did not remit their deductions.
By NELLY MTEMA, Tanzania Daily News
