Employees from various sectors have expressed mixed feelings over the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) reforms that are in the process of being revised.
Speaking during spot interviews carried out by ZANIS in Ndola, workers are of the view that the 20 percent lamp sum that has been suggested to be paid off to employees is little and that NAPSA should reconsider its decision.
Mercy Mambwe, an employee with the mines in the Copperbelt province said the 20 percent is not enough and suggested that NAPSA should instead consider giving the money to employees in terms of mortgage.
“The moment you start working, it is mandatory that you contribute to NAPSA as an employ. And Zambia being a democratic country, some of these issues we need to be consulted because this is our money we are talking about.
As far as I’m concerned, mortgages for employees would not be a bad idea because we struggle even just to get a plot, now thinking of building with the salary is really a nonstarter. So, I propose mortgage as it will really be of great help for us.” she said.
Ms Mambwe added that if the worker’s money is given in form of a mortgage the money will be utilised well as the workers will have something to show for the contributions that they do with NAPSA.
She said NAPSA should give options to employees to choose either to get the money or be given a mortgage which can be remitted through the contributions that workers give.
And Victor Kunda, a teacher is of the view that NAPSA should start giving loans to the workers at a lower interest rate because the 20 percent is too little even if one has worked for more than ten years.
Mr Kunda said that with the high cost of living being experienced in the country, it will be difficult to do anything tangible with the 20 percent on offer.
“Most of us are just surviving by the grace of God. If you check workers’ payslips, there are deductions of loans with huge interest rates. So if NAPSA introduced loans for employees at a lower interest rate from the same contributions that we make, it would be better,” he said
He added the other way would be to give workers 50 percent of their total contributions as that would help the workers to invest properly.
In September, Cabinet approved the introduction of the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) Amendment Bill in Parliament.
Giving a mortgage is the best idea, because most of the employees once they given the proposed 20%, it will not take them anywhere just as what Ms Mambwe has explained. Please mwebuteko think twice about the mortgage.
Just increase the allocation to 50% for people to do meaningful projects. I voted based on this, had you told us that it will be 20%, maybe we could have thought twice about giving the vote
How is 20% going to make a difference, Its not too late, just do the needful, we make some progress please
20% was decided by your dictatorial regime. It did not come from Napsa. These Napsa reforms were supposed to be decided through an indaba.Napsa is a public institution with a lot of stakeholders. They were supposed to be consulted before coming up with such. The problem with UPND government is that they are arrogant and thinks they know-it-all. Unions were supposed to be involved same as public at large. 20% is a drop in the ocean.
Someone is part of the Africa Life Pension. Hope they will not hire them to process the withdraws
IT IS NOT MANDATORY TO WITHDRAW. YOU CAN LEAVE THE MONEY UNTIL YOU RETIRE.
I have checked and I can’t find any pension in the world that allows partial withdraws. The NAPSA plan is that one will get their monthly pension until their youngest dependent finishes school i.e. after the pensioner and their spouse have passed on. If we are not careful, the whole system will collapse and leave thousands in destitution.
The best they can do is give loans for houses as has been mention here already.
#5 Muntu, some people need protection. They cannot think straight without help.