Fears allayed as merger of social security funds nears

Arusha. The process of merging four social security funds into the Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF) to serve public servants is in the final stages of completion.

President John Magufuli has already enacted the Public Service Social Security Fund Act no. 5 of 2018.

The PSSSF Act was enacted on February 8 and PSSSF will come into effect after the dissolution of the Parastatal Pensions Fund (PPF), Government Employees Provident Fund (GEPF), Local Authorities Pension Fund (LAPF) and Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) is completed. The private sector will continue to be under the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (Labour, Youth, Employment and the Disabled), Eric Shitindi, when giving a report on the implementation of the various duties of the ministry during a meeting of the workers’ council held in Arusha Region, called upon members of the funds including dependents not to worry, saying they would keep receiving their benefits as done under the current laws.

He explained that the Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA) had made preparations for implementation of PSSSF Act by ensuring that members of merged funds would continue to receive their terminal benefits.

“SSRA, in cooperation with the merged funds, has prepared a report on the members, preserved information about retirees and dependents,” he said. According to Mr Shitindi, resources of the funds to be merged will remain safe and that employees of such funds would be under sustainable supervision.

The permanent secretary added that SSRA had been working well, saying it had already received 908 complaints and resolved 851 of them, equivalent to 93.7 per cent of all claims lodged.

However, some members of the public who spoke to The Citizen, advised SSRA to provide education to members whose funds had been dissolved so that they could know where they would get their terminal benefits.