A PARLIAMENTARY portfolio committee has accused the state-owned National Social Security Authority of misdirecting monthly pension contributions amid plans to immediately review the law governing the authority.
VICTORIA MTOMBA BUSINESS REPORTER
Parliamentary portfolio committee on finance and economic planning chairperson David Chapfika this week said the Labour, Public Service and Social Welfare ministry should immediately review the Social Security Act.
This comes amid outcry that NSSA has failed to cushion pensioners from the harsh economic environment despite having investments on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and property market.
“The committee is deeply concerned by the very slow progress regarding the review of the National Social Security Act at a time NSSA continues to receive and misdirect monthly contributions from the workers.
“It is our considered view that NSSA investments should be broad-based and should benefit the shareholders who are in effect the workers that make monthly contributions,” Chapfika said.
Last year, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries queried the decision by the state owned compulsory pension scheme authority to invest $30 million into Capital Bank.
Capital, formerly an investment has since been downgraded to a micro bank.
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NSSA general manager James Matiza last year told NewsDay that the company invested in Capital bank as it was the only way that it can tap into the First Mutual Holdings which is a stock exchange listed company performing well in the insurance sector.
Matiza said shares for FMH cannot be easily found on the market.
NSSA’s subsidiaries include First Mutual Holdings (FMH) in which it has a 51% stake while the company has an 86% stake in Capital Bank. NSSA has interests in several firms listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.
The authority administers the following schemes the pension and other benefits scheme and accident prevention and Workers’ compensation scheme.
Matiza said the pension fund pays a $60 per month as a minimum to its pensioners while the maximum is $1 447 although in between some people get $200, $600 and others $700 depending on one’s contributions.
NSSA’s balance sheet as at 2012 had grown to $706 million from $592 million in 2011.
Before this, the authority’s assets stood at $456 million in 2010.
