NSSF launches online platform to report non-compliant employers

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has introduced a web-based whistleblower platform that will enable disgruntled employees report employers who are non-compliant with the remittance of social security contributions to the Fund.

The platform is designed to facilitate collaborative efforts between the Fund and its members to hold employers accountable for NSSF contributions and any accumulated interest

Speaking at the launch in Kampala on Wednesday, 08 November 2023, NSSF Managing Director Patrick Ayota gave a recap of his recently introduced Vision 2035 strategy for the Fund which is anchored Expansion of social security coverage – from 11% to 50% of Uganda’s working population by 2035, Growing the Fund – from the current Ushs 19.4 trillion to Ushs 50 trillion by 2035 and increasing efficiency in serving customers – targeting customer satisfaction rate from the current 86% to 95% by 2035.

“These, we shall achieve by deliberately creating a willingness to save and creating the capacity to save,” he said.

“As you may recall, as a way of creating a willingness to save, we promised to empower our members by making them part of our improving compliance strategic objective. The Fund is very serious and determined to address the non-compliance issue and is thus innovating on ways to curb this vice,” Ayota added.

He said in the past few months, NSSF has had several engagements with employers in different sectors across the country, urging them to fulfil their statutory obligations of remitting social security contributions for their employees.

“We have even offered amnesty to help them comply. According to our data, only 20,762 out of 36,426 registered employers are actively remitting contributions to the Fund. This gives us a compliance rate of only 57% compliance rate. Compliance means that an employer is remitting the contribution on time and in full,” he added.

He said this means that over 15,000 employers are not complying and are cheating their employees of their retirement savings.

“The sad news is that, on average, only 107 cases are being reported. In a bid to empower members, I would like to inform our members that we have revamped our web-based – Whistle-blower platform used by aggrieved employees to report employers who fail to remit their social security contributions to the Fund, as required by the law,” he added..

“The platform will help us work actively with our members to go after their employers so that they remit their NSSF contributions plus any accrued interest,” he added.

The NSSF MD explained that the upgraded portal has mainly three new features namely;  Complete anonymity of the Whistle-blower, automatic tracking of reported cases and empowerment of Government Labour Inspectors:

“The platform now allows government labour inspectors to report Government contractors and any other employers who stubbornly refuse to contribute to the Fund as per the new NSSF Act,” he said.

“Once we receive a complaint from a whistleblower, we initiate an investigation. Should we prove that the allegation is true, the employer is offered an opportunity to comply and settle the matter amicably. Where the employer stubbornly refuses to co-operate, other drastic measures come into force including prosecution and the application of the punitive penalties permitted within the law,” he added.

NSSF, he said, has over the last two years recovered UGX 8,969,549,733 through litigation.

“We currently have over 390 cases and expect to recover even more with this new whistleblower platform. Members, remember it is your money. It is your future. I therefore encourage all workers to visit https://whistleblower.nssfug.org  to report their cheating employers and safeguard the future you aspire to achieve,” he added.