Henry Mukasa
13 November 2008
Kampala — THE Government has released sh50b pension arrears to 4,735 beneficiaries.
The money will cover teachers, UPDF widows, local government workers and traditional civil servants, public service minister Henry Kajura said. About sh16b will go to 909 persons who served in local government; sh7b for 797 traditional public servants, while sh7b will be for 933 teachers, he said.
Kajura said about sh5b would be distributed among 548 persons whose salaries underwent revalidation-salary increase backdated for three years.
The minister said 1,091 former UPDF soldiers would share sh15b, while 97 widows will get about sh700m.
Last financial year, the arrears stood at sh286.4b. The Government paid sh186b to about 41,000 beneficiaries. Although sh186b was budgeted for pension arrears, said Kajura, the outstanding amount is sh860b.
Payments, he assured, would continue on a quarterly basis until the backlog is cleared. "We hope by the end of next year, this exercise should be completed."
Kajura added that the lists of beneficiaries will be published in The New Vision, displayed at the pension office at the ministry headquarters in Wandegeya and at chief administrators' offices in all districts.
To avoid thefts, the minister explained, all payments are made by Bank of Uganda through Electronic Fund Transfer to personal accounts of beneficiaries.
"We no longer have people using their pens and pencils. The process is electronic."
"However, we have people who change accounts without notifying us. Once money is credited electronically, it cannot be corrected on the way," Kajura elaborated.
He urged the beneficiaries to inform the ministry of change of accounts and addresses.
The minister said beneficiaries in local governments were chosen on first come, first serve basis. "This is because some local governments don't keep records of those who served them," Kajura said. "Some districts used to be one unit but now are more than five."
He was referring to new districts which were created from old ones. He said in the process, many documents got lost and finding them would take time.
Beneficiaries in other categories, Kajura commented, were selected on the basis of age, the time one joined public service and on sickness.
"We usually start with the older ones, people who joined public service in the 1930s," he said. "But there are people who come when they are very sick and we have evidence that unless they travel to India (for treatment) something serious could happen."
On pension for World War veterans, Kajura said the matter was in court. He said although the veterans won the case in the High Court, government appealed. Kajura asked dissatisfied beneficiaries to call 0414-251006 or 0414-250534.
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