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{
    "id": 1127097,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1127097/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 576,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Nambale, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Sakwa Bunyasi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2511,
        "legal_name": "John Sakwa Bunyasi",
        "slug": "john-sakwa-bunyasi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to comment on two of the funds. First is the Local Authorities Provident Fund. These kinds of funds, whether pension or provident, are useful to workers. People get into them at a young age. They look forward to joining them and ask how they can begin to invest so that when it is time for them to quit, they can be rewarded. They are trust funds and those obligations will be honoured. With respect to the Local Authorities Provident Fund, I know of councilors whose deductions were made from their salaries. The local authorities did not always tally their contributions. They may not have submitted their contributions for other reasons. Whereas they paid every month, the net effect is that their funds were never transferred. After devolution came, many of them were in this city frantically looking for ways in which they came make up for lost time. Some of them contributed funds to fill up the shortfalls in their contributions so that they are part of the Fund, but that never happened. That is disappointing as it makes it difficult for them. As a House, we are within reach to punish the institutions that do not fully remit on their obligations, particularly on trusts for provident and pension funds. If you have noticed, with regard to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), there are many cases where workers’ monies are deducted, but funds are not remitted. Individuals are left helpless. It is only through collective action and with the support of institutions like ours that they can be listened to. It is important for people to avoid being desperate in the latter years of their lives. Many people in this House and other institutions are young and think that there will be a miracle when they get old. When they get there, they may find that they are unable to make ends meet and end up leading a miserable old life. Nowadays, children cannot be your pension or provident fund provider or your medical and social security provider. I am glad that this is a modern institution. When you have that type of institution, it takes away the burden of worry from individuals and the Government of the day and transfers it to the commitment one makes by surrendering part of their salary. I hope that the Local Authorities Provident Fund will correct these problems. I do not think they will be able to generate a piece of legislation that will force 100 per cent compliance. Even though I do not have an idea, that is something that I jointly propose should be done. The outcomes that we should seek are in the areas of trust in which workers commit their active years to pay up so that they finally receive a payback. It is important that we all pull up our socks. In the campaigns, you have heard the issue of social protection being a frontline concern. That is important. People are realising that the social structures they depended on and the fiscal assets they had can dissipate and not provide while they are working. That will be an important provision. One of the challenges that devolution has had is with regard to human resource. Must workers be stuck with one employer so as to provide for their retirement? We should move away The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}