Tanzania: Govt Pledges Better Services to Pensioners

IN efforts to ensure timely submission of public servants' contributions to the social security schemes, the government has started making direct deductions from the Treasury.

Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Prof Joyce Ndalichako said that, contrary to the previous system where the deductions were done by employers, the government is currently channeling the contributions from the Treasury straight to the respective social security schemes.

Prof Ndalichako revealed that recently in a meeting with pensioners in Mwanza, when she met them to hear their grievances.

During the meeting, the pensioners complained of low retirement benefits which they attributed to failure by employers to submit their deductions, despite promotions and during wrong calculations.

Responding, Prof Ndalichako said that the government had already worked on low payments' grievances of some pensioners after submitting relevant documents.

She further said that late submission of staff contributions to social security schemes has been a serious challenge which has caused delays in paying them their benefits.

She added: "We can also propose amendments of laws in order to impose stern measures against defiant employers, especially in the private sect."

The minister noted that public employers are required to submit the pending contributions before the government introduced the new system.

Prof Ndalichako stressed that the government will continue improving services to the retirees since they have served the country with integrity and for a long time.

One of the pensioners who served as Bunda District Registry Secretary, in Mara region, Ms Rehema Mganga said that she was promoted to the position after being a telephone operator for some years, but her contributions to social security scheme was not met, despite deductions in her salary.

She advised relevant departments to make sure that they deposit all contributions to social security funds, at-least three months before the retirement, so as to avoid inconvenience that affects almost every retiree.

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