Pension census complete at district level

The last batch of officers in the ongoing pension census has completed the exercise at district level.

According to Godfrey Adroa Oyo, a senior human resource officer at the Ministry of Public Service, the officers who begun the exercise at district level on February 20 2017, will now be stationed at National Records Centre and Archives (NRCA) in Wandegeya to continue attending to those that might have missed the exercise at district level.

Although Oyo, also the assistant coordinator in the pension census, could not reveal the exact statistics of those that turned up for the exercise, he said the turn up was good.

"We received many teachers and UPDF soldiers but other categories also showed up. For those that missed the exercise at district level will be expected to come to the Archives centre where our officers will be stationed," Oyo said although he was unable to reveal when the whole exercise will be completed.      

Pensioners to miss verification

Meanwhile the ministry has warned that they shall not verify any pensioner who lacks a National ID. The move, Oyo said is aimed at integrating the pensioner's payroll and National ID data as required by the Ministry of Finance.

"When Government asked citizens to register for national IDs, there was no age bracket therefore the elderly have to ensure they get them. Therefore every pensioner should acquire a national ID card before coming for census, prior to that, they will not be validated." Oyo stressed.

When contacted, Michael Muganga, the assistant spokesperson at National Identification and Registration Authority said issuance and registration of new applicants is ongoing at district level and in all the five divisions of Kampala City.

He however dismissed claims that acquiring a National IDs presently, isn't going for a fee.

"Issuance and registration of new applicants is totally free of charge. We only charge sh50,000, payable in the bank for those that seek replacement of lost IDs or require any changes and appeals," Muganga added.   

Background

The Ministry of Public Service resumed the countrywide registration of pensioners and claimants on February 18th.

The verification exercise begun in June 2015 with 2181 pensioner's worth sh997,462,131m unverified.

The number of pensioners on the payroll by December 2016 according to the Ministry of Public Service was 70,085 people. There were reports that some pensioners had died but benefits were received by their relatives.

Last year, the ministry developed 11 new reforms in pension management namely pensioner's census, computerizing of the processing of pension, and transition from cash payment to cheques to ascertain the actual number of pensioners in the country.

Others include ,Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPS), transfer of pension records from legacy systems to IPPS, decentralized management of pension and gratuity to the respective votes of retirements.

Pensioners who will miss out on the validation exercise will be scrapped off the payroll since the systems will no longer recognize unregistered pensioners.

Oyo warned pensioners against sending representatives for verification adding that ongoing census requires biometric registration where fingerprints and photographs of the pensioners are required.

Pensioners who were bedridden were attended to in hospital.