THE
Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) has begun offering services to its
customers through mobile phones in attempts to do away with queues. PSPF Acting
Director General, Mr Adam Mayingu said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that
prospective customers would now be able to register for the fund's services
through their mobile phones.
"After
registering through their own mobile phones, new PSPF members will be required
to submit the necessary documents to a PSPF branch," said Mr Mayingu
during the Annual Stakeholders' meeting on Friday.
Earlier,
Labour and Employment Minister, Ms Gaudentia Kabaka, said the government plans
to review regulations on public pensions fund to make it possible for members
to move from one fund to another.
"The
goal is to ensure that members of the public benefits from the pensions
funds," said Ms Kabaka while closing the two-day meeting. She pointed out
that the formal sector comprises only three per cent of the workforce who are
members of pensions funds and that only six per cent of those in the informal
sector have joined pensions funds.
PSPF
Board of Trustees Chairman, Mr George Yambesi said the fund size grew to
1.9trn/- in 2012 from 36bn/- in June 2000, saying the surplus came from
contributions, investment income and other sources. "The number of PSPF
members has also increased by 58 per cent (309,767) in June 2012 from 196,150
members in 1999," he said.
Mr
Yambesi said that PSPF has already paid 1.35trn/- to pensioners, noting that it
started paying benefits in July 2004. He also said that the fund has helped a
total of 8,932 family members contributors through Death Gratuity and
Survivors' Pension.
"The
fund has also sold a total of 1,530 houses to pensioners with less than five
years to retire," he said. He added that PSPF would soon open its branches
in newly established regions of Simiyu, Njombe, Geita and Katavi.
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