Members of the parliamentary oversight committee on Labour and Industrial Relations yesterday cautioned senior officials from the National social security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) that they should be vigilance in their debt collections across the country.
Speaking in a debriefing session with senior officials of NASSIT in Parliament , Chairman of the committee, Hon. Dr. Foday Suma upon their visits to the three regions, private and government schools, private institutions and road construction companies paid some of their debts and some even paid when letters were received from the committee.
He said several letters were shown from both NASSIT and debtors on payment plans in paying their debt but after sometimes, NASSIT inspectors never monitor those plans and even the MDA forgot to pay as planned adding that it could be recalled that sometimes last year they mediate between certain institutions but it was observed that neither NASSIT nor the institutions followed their ruling.
Hon. Suma explained that some official letters were also discovered from debtors where they wrote to NASSIT on the issue of redundant workers in their institution but they were continued to be bill despite the fact that their names are no longer their database which should not be the case as a reputable institution and as an institution that holds the retirement benefit of the citizens.
According to him, “for NASSIT to be able to sustain in an illiterate country like ours, there is need to sensitize the public as to why they should pay tax, need to hold meetings with employers and employees on the important of tax compliance as to be socially driven for their retirement are and their children”.
He revealed that they were able to collect the sum of two hundred and forty-five million and sixty thousand Leones and also Shandong mining Company paid the sum of one billion upon their arrival in Bo, Kenema and Makeni respectively.
He said Makeni paid Le70.7million, Bo Le 24.9million and Kenema Le150million.
Director General of NASSIT, Joseph Sedu Mans commended the committee as they will look into the issues observed by members and that on the issue of debt compliance, a committee will be set up to investigate the issue and will give returns upon their next meeting.
He said the delay in paying beneficiaries or that deleting staffs that are no longer in MDAs data system solely relied on the institutions and the beneficiaries.
He said some employers pay the 5% from the employee and paying the remaining 10% from the institutions was never complied with which is causing sometimes the delays in paying beneficiaries their retirement fees.
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