Labour expert Herbert Jauch has raised concerns over the decline in payout amounts and beneficiaries of social security grants, which is unusual considering the ever-growing population.

He said this after Social Security Commission (SSC) spokesperson Unomengi Kauapirura provided statistics for the last five years.

Jauch said every year, as the population grows and more babies are born, more women should be receiving maternity benefits.

"However, we must keep in mind that SSC only pays out to those who are registered with the commission and these are usually people who are formally employed and who have completed the registration [process]," he said.

Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation executive director Lydia Indombo says payouts to beneficiaries are determined by various factors such as periods of leave taken and salary scales, among others.

"It is difficult to fairly weigh where the decline is and to justify the impact it has on the labour market, as the payout amount and beneficiaries provided are a collective of the different benefits," she says.

She says the decline may be a result fewer employees taking sick and maternity leave or an issue of non-compliance in terms of submitting claims related to sickness, maternity and death.

SSC has paid out a total amount of N$1,7 billion to more than 190 000 beneficiaries for maternity and sick leave, death benefits and retirement in the past five years.

The year 2023 saw a payout of N$257,8 million to 27 854 beneficiaries.

This is a gradual drop from 2022, when payouts done by the commission stood at N$310,6 million to 35 173 beneficiaries.