A dream doesn't become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work.

Friday 17 May 2013

NSSF: We will mount Door-to-Door checks to ensure domestic workers registration

 May 15th 2013  By Standard Digital Reporter
NAIROBI,KENYA: Social security provider, National Social Security Fund ( NSSF) has announced plans to mount a door-to-door inspection exercise in residential houses to enforce a mandatory requirement to register domestic workers with the fund, commencing early next month.
The door-to-door inspection exercise will be, conducted across the country by authorised NSSF compliance officers to identify domestic workers -house helps, gardeners and herds boys and drivers among others- who will not have been, registered with the fund at the close of the current amnesty period, which closes by end of the month.

NSSF Managing Trustee Tom Odongo confirmed that elaborate plans have been, drawn to enforce the mandatory requirement to expand social security coverage to all employees as per constitutional (Section 43) requirements. The NSSF Compliance officers, scheduled to carry out the exercise, Odongo disclosed will be, easily recognised from their NSSF official uniforms and staff identity cards.
The on-going amnesty and registration campaign across NSSF offices and through the fund’s website is expected to facilitate the registration of an estimated 3 million workers. 
Ahead of the exercise, NSSF has also set up a toll free telephone numbers 2713009, 2713010, 2713012, to be, used by workers wishing to verify their status or lodge complaints/report their employers who have failed to remit their dues. 
Upon registration, the respective employers will be, expected to remit NSSF monthly contributions currently amounting to shs 400 to facilitate the domestic workers social security cover. The cover, Odongo pointed out, will afford domestic workers a number of statutory benefits and grants including the age, invalidity and survivors benefits; affording them equal dignity to formal sector workers in their old age. 
“Following the Kenya Gazette Notice no 159 of 30th October 2009 that makes it mandatory for all employers to register their employees with NSSF, we have extended an amnesty for all employers to register their employees before 31st May 2013,” Odongo said.  
 “ignorance of the law is no excuse and this means that, employers of domestic workers are required by law to register them with NSSF and remit their contributions or risk legal action.”  
The concerted registration exercise for domestic workers comes hot on the heels of the recent commitment by President Uhuru Kenyatta to provide social protection for all Kenyans. The commitment is also in line with the draft NSSF Bill 2012, set for parliamentary presentation and debate this year. 
It is, expected that the presidential commitment outlined last month when President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate, will form an integral part of the Government’s legislative agenda.
While outlining his legislative agenda, President Uhuru Kenyatta reiterated that the government would embark on a process to provide social protection cover for all Kenyans as outlined in the Constitution.
“We will champion the rights of all Kenyans, preserving and defending them not only through good governance and respect for the rule of law but also by extending the right to social protection,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said. And added: “We will expand the state pensions system so that all our citizens enjoy dignity in old age.” 
In line with the president’s pledge, Odongo pointed out that the NSSF Bill 2013 seeks to transform NSSF to handle the Social Protection needs for all Kenyans and to enhance coverage and improve on the benefits currently offered to the fund members. 
Failure to provide an expanded Social Security product under NSSF in coming years, he said would be tantamount to encouraging discrimination for various sectors of the economy that are currently neither covered by NSSF nor by private schemes.  
As a statutory fund, NSSF is, mandated to register members, collect contributions, invest the contributions and pay specified benefits and currently counts, 1.5million, active members largely drawn from workers in the formal sector of the economy.  
The NSSF defined scheme is, financed entirely by the employer/employee monthly contributions set at 10 per cent of wages based on a current ceiling of Kshs 400per month.

No comments:

Post a Comment