Worker’s Representatives have called for a reputable international audit firm to carry out a forensic audit of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). The Parliament’s Ad Hoc committee probing NSSF has learned from the board that the minister of gender Betty Amongi irregularly requested Shs 6bn from the fund.
Members of Parliament representing workers including Arinaitwe Rwakajara, Agnes Kunihira, Margaret Rwabushaija, and Abdul Byakatonda were the first to appear before the House’s Select Committee investigating corruption in the National Social Security Fund – NSSF. They asked the committee to pick interest in finding out how the Shs100 billion collected monthly by NSSF is invested.
Workers MP cited instances where the management of the fund deliberately delays investments thus affecting savers’ interest earnings. In this regard, MPs urged the Ad Hoc committee to recommend a forensic Audit into the operation of NSSF done by an international body that can withstand the temptation of bribery by the fund managers.
They also cautioned the committee to observe the scandal keenly as it may be an opportunity manipulated by the ministry of finance in order to use it as a ground to take back sole supervision of the fund which is currently under duo supervision of the ministry of gender and finance.
The committee also interfaced with officials of the NSSF Board led by Chairman, Peter Kimbowa together with other Board members and grilled them over the alleged Shs6b which the Gender Minister, Betty Among requested from the savers’ fund.
The committee chairperson Mwine Mpaka grilled the officials on whether they had approved the 6 billion requests by the Minister and whether it was irregular or not. In response, Kimbowa said that the Minister’s request was irregular and that the Board did not approve the money.
It is alleged that Minister Amongi declined to re-appoint the former NSSF Managing Director, Richard Buarugaba after the Fund failed to approve the 6 billion Shillings request. Hassan Lwabayi Mudiba, the National Organization of Trade Unions (NOTU) representative on the NSSF board said that it was irregular for the Minister to initiate the budget request.
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