Financial fitness
The Public Service Commission is assisting those with missing pension records
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has appealed to all public servants employed by the North West Provincial Government who have lost their pension records to register their names with the commission.
According to Bully Sedibe, Provincial Director: North West, the PSC has embarked on a project to assist all current and former employees who have lost their pension records, particularly during the transition from Bophuthatswana into South Africa in the early to mid-90s.
The PSC is mandated in terms of section 196 of the Constitution to investigate grievances of employees in the public service as well as monitor and evaluate the organisation and administration, and the personnel practices of the public service, explained Sedibe.
From the grievances lodged with the PSC, it became apparent that most employees terminating their employment with the public service had missing service records.
The missing records, such as salary advices, IRP5 forms or leave records which are required as proof by the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) to determine the contribution made to the pension fund by members for the periods under consideration, particularly prior to 1994, result in retirees forfeiting valuable pension payouts for the period served in the public service.
A previous study undertaken by the PSC found that the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) was founded based on all previous nine pension funds. Some of the pension funds which were integrated into the GEPF had better recording systems than others, resulting in disputes over pensionable years from different pension funds as data was migrated over to the new GEPF system.
In addition, most employees in the previous administrations were not immediately admitted to pension funds and many officials do not have proof in their possession to support their claims that they contributed to pension funds in earlier years.
Pension claims are processed as per GPAA records and evidence of the pensionable years.
“We had a meeting with the
GPAA and the agreement was for the PSC to develop a database of all affected employees so that the GPAA can look into alternative mechanisms that can be deployed in order to provide the necessary relief to affected employees,” he explained.
The PSC is currently working with the Office of the Premier in North West as well as the GPAA and other stakeholders to identify methods that could be considered to process fair pension payouts.
The PSC has started placing adverts in local publications in North West but also wants to reach out to those employees and former employees who may have relocated to other provinces.
Those affected can phone Bully Sedibe on 018 384 1000 or email bullys@opsc.gov.za, as well as Lebogang Mautlwa on the same contact number or by email LebogangM@opsc.gov.za
In addition, they can also go to the PSC's office at Shop No 112, Ground Floor, Megacity Shopping Centre, Cnr Sekame Street & Dr James Moroka Drive, Mmabatho (Mahikeng).