THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has extended a three-month amnesty to unregistered and defaulting employers to regularise their contributions.
BY FIDELITY MHLANGA
It’s a statutory requirement for every employee working in Zimbabwe to be covered under the country’s social security scheme administered by NSSA.
The window, under which penalties and surcharges are set aside, runs from October 1 to December 31, 2018.
The amnesty mainly targets companies that are registered with NSSA, which either have not been deducting contributions or have not been remitting contributions they deducted.
“Under the amnesty, which will see penalties and surcharges waived, non-compliant or defaulting employers will be expected to register and come up with acceptable payment plans, respectively. The amnesty is the second one following the first ever amnesty that ran from December 1, 2017 to February 28, 2018,” NSSA said in a statement on Wednesday.
The amnesty also creates room for companies or individuals facing difficulties in remitting contributions to engage or lodge complaints.
NSSA operates two schemes, the pensions and other benefits scheme (POBS) and the accident prevention and workers compensation scheme (APWCS).
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The POBS pays a pension to members at 55 and 60 years of age.
The earlier case applies to employees working in arduous occupations while the latter is for normal retirement. Members should have contributed for a minimum of 120 months in both cases.
Those who have contributed less than 120 months on retirement receive a once-off payment called a retirement grant.
NSSA has 1,2 million active members and 200 000 beneficiaries, of which 75 000 are retirement pensioners and 125 000 are widows, widowers and other dependents.
The APWCS caters for members who are injured at work and, depending on level of impairment, can be paid a pension irrespective of age. The scheme also caters for medical costs for members who suffer injuries at work.
It is also responsible for health and safety in workplaces and ensures compliance with all the health and safety in workplaces as guided by the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations.
Currently, the scheme covers medical costs and pensions for 8 700 members.
