Retirees of Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) have refuted claims by some of its members that the former workers have been underpaid their pension benefits.
TAZARA Retirees Association Secretary Pascal Lupiya said the former workers have been paid their pension benefits in accordance with the law.
Some retirees led by the Association Chairman, John Kangwa last week issued a statement complaining that the former workers of the railway company have been underpaid their benefits.
As a result the retirees said they will not collect the cheques from the Zambia States Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) and National Pensions Schemes Authority (NAPSA) until they are correctly and fully paid their pension benefits.
The retirees complained that they have been underpaid their pension benefits through the two pension schemes adding that they have also suffered unknown deductions from their pension benefits.
Mr Kangwa accused the two pension schemes and TAZARA management officials of conspiring to fabricate the former workers’ statements of accounts to indicate and effect deductions from their pension benefits despite the retirees not receiving such monies like lump sum upon retirement.
He stated that the former workers have also suffered unknown deductions from their pension benefits.
But Mr Lupiya stated that the statement issued by the group led by Mr Kangwa was not the position of the Retirees Association but views from individual former workers.
In a statement to ZANIS today Mr Lupiya said all the deductions indicated on the former workers statements of accounts are genuine.
Mr Lupiya said the money that has been deducted from the pensions of the former workers was meant to recover the advance pensions and allowances that the retirees received from their former employer, TAZARA.
He said TAZARA entered into an agreement to be paying the former workers monthly allowances which would be recovered from their pensions once they are paid.
He said the money was meant to assist the retirees since they had not received their pensions upon retirement.
“It is a legal deduction … TAZARA helped by paying us allowances against our pensions because money was not ready for our retirement benefits now that we have our benefits we should pay back that was what was agreed how else do they think TAZARA will recover their money?”, Mr Lupiya said.
And Mr Lupiya commended government for releasing funds in the 2012 National Budget to clear the pension benefits arrears to retirees of TAZARA.
In the 2012 National Budget government released K45 billion to clear the backlog of unpaid pension benefits to former TAZARA workers, settling of operational debt that TAZARA had incurred and for recapitalization purposes.
ZANIS
They should learn to appreciate that at least they have been paid by a listening Gov’t, and not the last 20 years of mmd and its fake policies which were to enrich a few at the expense of the majority Zambians. No wonder people booted them out of power. And sooner than later, come next elections, they will be less than 10 MPs from MMD, and maybe above 10 from upnd. Viva Sata, viva the people of Zambia.
And please spare AKA from sudden removals in position. He needs to remain in his position for the stability of TAZARA, and himself. He was treated quite shabbily, in my view, by some of his peers in the MMD despite that, together with Chitala, he was fearless regarding the removal of dictatorship in Zambia.
@2. Aka is still waiting for a response from the PF government to his request to step down. He made a request to retire last December 2012!
It is now tazara,were is ministry of works and supply to intervane on this problem?