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| Mr Mnyika |
Amid the ongoing fierce public debate on the new pension law, MP John
Mnyika (Ubungo-Chadema) has vowed to table a private Bill in the House, which
will enable legislators to remove the Article that forbids employees from
getting their benefits before turning 55.
Mr Mnyika expressed disappointment at how Parliament was conducting
itself, noting that such circumstances have always led to enactment of laws
which did not benefit wananchi.
Mr Mnyika said he had already submitted the document to the clerk of
the National Assembly, Dr Thomas Kashilah.
Beginning Monday next week, he said, he would begin collecting
signatures from MPs who wish to support the move. The Ubungo MP asked his
voters and wananchi to forgive him for failing to take advantage of the article
when the law was approved on April 13, 2012.
“I am asking for forgiveness. Although I did not support the approval
of the Bill, I admit to have been not keen enough to raise the issue by
presenting a schedule of amendment,” said Mr Mnyika.
However, the MP who doubles as the director of Publicity and
Information for Chadema said wananchi should understand that the Article, which
requires employees to collect their benefits when they are 55 years, was
included in the Bill during its final stages.
“What I can say here is that the government has some hidden agenda for enacting
this suppressive law. This Article was not in the Bill when it was mentioned
for the first and second times. It means
that the government has a hidden agenda,” said Mr Mnyika.
Earlier, the deputy Speaker, Mr Job Ndugai, announced a new parliamentary
schedule, which excludes all private motions including that seeking to discuss
the new pension law.
Mr Mnyika said the only solution to ensure the law was discussed and
amended was through moving a new Bill in the House.
“According to this schedule, the Speaker will not allow any private
motion to be discussed in the House.
Therefore, the only alternative here is to table a private Bill on the
matter, otherwise wananchi will suffer because of MPs’ negligence,” said the
Ubungo MP.
He dded that the Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA) should
withdraw its statement to the public that no employee should process the
withdrawal of their benefit six months from the time the statement was
released.
“There is something going on between the government and these social
security funds, you can see the parliament is avoiding to discuss the matter,
and at the same time SSRA is forcing people to forget their benefits until next
six months, we say this is unfair, and we cannot accept,” said Mr Mnyika.
Source: The Citizen,http://www.thecitizen.co.tz, reported by Florence Mugarula
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