Africa-Press – Zambia. 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.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
