4300 companies steal from their employees
By Sharon Tibenda
27th Feb 2012:
Uncovered: Suspected fraud by employers
The National Social Security Fund [NSSF] has launched a whistleblowers campaign to encourage aggrieved employees to report employers who do not remit their NSSF contributions, NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba has announced.
The initiative calls upon employees and members of the public to provide information to the Fund about any employer who is not remitting their contributions without fear of reprisal. Byarugaba said that NSSF will treat all information about defaulting employers in confidence and will not reveal names of whistleblowers.
“It is not morally right for any employer to withhold NSSF contributions for their employees. It is also against the law. This campaign is aimed at empowering employees to be vigilant and speak out to ensure that their employers meet their obligations,” he said.
He also announced that the Fund is offering cash reward of UGX 100,000 (one hundred thousand shillings only) for any member of the public who gives information that can lead to confirmation that employers are not remitting contributions for their employees. The reward will be given after the Fund has verified the information supplied by the whistleblower.
“…Every month, employers in Uganda are denying their employees by not remitting their NSSF contributions. We are encouraging employees to be vigilant and report their employers so that they can meet their obligations,” he said.
The NSSF boss said the figures show that a significant number of workers are being robbed by their employers. “…Workers should take care of their social security and they have an obligation to do so. But it is also the obligation of employers to register with NSSF and pay contributions for their workers,” Byarugaba said.
NSSF also gave an email address whistleblower@nssfug.org for employees to report employers who withhold employees’ NSSF contributions. In the alternative, employees have also been urged to visit NSSF offices countrywide to provide information about employers suspected of involvement in the practice.
Finally, employees could also get in touch with the Relations Contributions Manager on 0417331508 or 0417 331503. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
