SSRA hits at biased employers

Ms Isaka

Employers who force their new employees to join a particular social security fund are violating the law and risk being penalised by Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA).

The SSRA Director General, Ms Irene Isaka, said in Dar es Salaam on Monday that her office has already started to receive complaints that following a recent mass recruitment of teachers by Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEVT), some employers were biased.

“All employers from public and private sector should abide by the law by ensuring that new employees are allowed to choose which social security fund to join. Freedom of choice of the employee should be respected,” Ms Isaka said.

She warned that employers risk being penalised upon contravening the 2008 Social Security (Regulatory Authority) Act No. 8 of 2008 as amended last year. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to warn biasedemployers that we are soon going to start enforcing the law by penalizing them accordingly,” she noted.

Those found guilty of contravening the law may be penalized a maximum of 20m/- or two year jail term while the minimum penalty is 10m/-. 

Compliance and Registration Director, Lightness Mauki, pointed out that regulations require that employers give representatives of pension funds enough opportunity to talk to new recruits so that they make informed choice.

“But of late we are getting reports from the ground that some employers are influencing their new recruits on which fund to join. 

The country has five social security funds which are LAPF, PPF, NSSF, PSPF, GEPF and NHIF. Ms Isaka also warned members from crossing from one fund to another, saying the law does not allow such a thing.

“Once you get paid gratuity by one pension fund, you are done, there is no shifting to another fund if you get re-employed,” she stressed. 

She advised Teachers Service Department, Civil Service Department, Local Government Service Department and others to respect the law which calls for equal treatment of all social security funds

Source: The Daily News,www.dailynews.co.tz, reported by Finnigan wa Simbeye from dar es Salaam 

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