Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
SOCIAL security organisations should invest in strategies that detect fraud and ensure smooth fund contributions to restore public confidence on the insurance sector.
This comes amid concerns over numerous incidents of mismanagement, evasion and fraud within the insurance sector in the region, Zimbabwe included.
Efforts are being made by the sector to identify appropriate risk-free systems that can help to eradicate these challenges that have dogged insurance over the years.
The International Social Security Association (ISSA) recently hosted a conference here in partnership with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) as part of efforts to address the above challenges and enhance transparency.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Professor Paul Mavima, who was guest of honour said the Government has invested in empowering compliance officers at entities such as the NSSA to ensure companies submit correct remittances on time as guided by statutory instruments and provide unparalleled social security to all working Zimbabweans and their dependents.
He said if the highlighted challenges were left untamed, the collapse of social security schemes becomes inevitable.
“Our desire is to provide sustainable social security and promote occupational safety and health to all members through responsive schemes and services,” said Prof Mavima.
“It’s high time our region and indeed the continent fully embraced cutting edge ICT solutions as well as benefit payment systems that will improve the tracking of errors, evasions and fraud that could derail our progressive call for social protection for our people.”
Prof Mavima said mechanisms to guard against ghost beneficiaries will go a long way in flushing out undeserving claims from systems.
Social security consists of policies and programmes structured to reduce poverty and vulnerability brought about by retirement, sickness, injury and death.
Provision of social security is hinged on adequate funding from the pooling of resources and contributions from employees and their employers.
The theme for the conference, which sought to help Africa to develop African solutions was: “Error, evasion and fraud in social security system.”
Prof Mavima said there was need to unpack causes of error, evasion and fraud and proffer lasting solutions for the good of social security administration.
There should be adequate training for social security officers to be able to identify cases of error, evasion and fraudulent claims before they are fully processed.
Chairman of ISSA Southern Africa, Mr Prince Lonkhokhela Dlamini, said use of rigorous processes to detect and prevent error, evasion and fraud, reinforce the legitimacy of social security institutions and have a positive impact on their capacity for sustainable development in support of social well-being and economic redistribution and growth.
“We found the topic, ‘Error, evasion and fraud in social security systems’ to be very important hence we will be seeking ways to improve our strategies in our endeavours of eradicating error and combating evasion and fraud to protect the image of our social security institutions and ensure their financial sustainability, as administrators,” said Mr Dlamini. – @ncubeleon.
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