IPP Media uwanjani na Habari Z`bar NSSF

Na Mwandishi wetu

13th March 2012

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Timu ya soka ya IPP Media, leo inaingia uwanjani kutupa karata yake ya kwanza kwenye mashindano ya vyombo vya habari yanayodhaminiwa na Shirika la Hifadhi ya Jamii (NSSF), watakapocheza na timu ya Habari Zanzibar.

Mchezo huo unaosubiriwa kwa hamu kubwa kutokana na uwezo mkubwa wa timu hizo, utachezwa kwenye uwanja wa Chuo Cha Ualimu Chang'ombe (DUCE) kuanzia majira ya saa 10:00 jioni.

Akizungumza na NIPASHE, kocha wa IPP Media, Ally Mkongwe alisema kuwa timu yake imejiandaa vizuri kwa ajili ya mchezo huo na wapo tayari kwa ushindani.

"Tumefanya maandalizi ya kutosha... tunajua Habari Zanzibar ni timu nzuri lakini hatuna shaka na ushindi kwa kuwa tumejiandaa kukabiliana nao," alisema Mkongwe.

Alisema kuwa licha ya timu yake kuandamwa na majeruhi baada ya baadhi ya nyota wake kuumia kwenye mechi za kirafiki za maandalizi ya mashindano hayo, anaamini wachezaji waliopo badio wana uwezo wa kufanya vizuri.

IPP Media leo itaingia uwanjani ikiwa na wachezaji wake nyota kama, Maulid Kitenge, Faustine Feliciane, Paul Urio na Patrick Nyembela.

Wachezaji wengine ni pamoja na Damdel Ndunguru, Stanley Shempemba, Peter Mchome, Simon Rogers na Fadhil Duma.

Jumamosi timu ya wanawake ya netiboli ya IPP Queens iliwaadhibu vikali wenzao wa Mwananchi kwa magoli 16-12 katika mechi ya ufunguzi wa mashindano hayo na watacheza mechi yao ijayo Jumamosi dhidi ya wenyeji wa michuano, NSSF.

IPP Media katika soka imepangwa katika kundi D moja na timu za Global Publishers na Habari Zanzibar.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

NSSF yakwama Machinga Complex

Na Richard Makore

7th May 2012

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Jengo la Machinga Complex lililoko Ilala

Sakata la jengo la Machinga Complex lililoko Ilala, Dar es Salaam limebainika kuendesha biashara ambayo hailipi na imeshindikana kulipa deni la mkopo wa ujenzi wake.

Jengo hilo linalomilikiwa na Halmashauri ya Jiji la Dar es Salaam, lilijengwa kwa mkopo kutoka Shirika la Hifadhi ya Jamii (NSSF) Sh. bilioni 12.9.

Kutokana na kufanya biashara isiyolipa na kushindwa kulipa deni la mkopo huo, NSSF imesema kuwa jengo la Machinga Complex limeshindwa kurudisha fedha hizo ambazo lilizitoa kwa Jiji la Dar es Salaam kama mkopo.

Jengo hilo la ghorofa lilijengwa katika Halmashauri ya Manispaa ya Ilala jijini Dar es Salaam kwa lengo la kuwapatia wamachinga waliozagaa jijini sehemu ya kufanyia biashara zao.

Hadi sasa Jiji limeshindwa kulipa mkopo huo wa NSSF, ambalo kwa sasa deni linakadiriwa kufikia Sh. bilioni 30 kutokana na ongezeko la riba.
Kwa mujibu wa taarifa kutoka ndani ya NSSF, Manispaa ya Ilala na Jiji la Dar es Salaam, fedha za kulipia deni hilo zilitarajiwa zitokane na kodi ya jengo hilo ambalo kwa sasa lina idadi ya wamachinga 5,000 waliopanga kwenye vizimba vya kufanyia biashara.

Ofisa Uhusiano Mkuu wa NSSF, Eunice Chiume, amethibitisha kwamba shirika lake mpaka sasa halijalipwa fedha zozote kama sehemu ya kulipia mkopo walioutoa kwa Jiji la Dar es Salaam.

Chiume alilihakikishia NIPASHE kwamba Jiji halijaanza kulipa fedha hizo, huku akikataa kuingia kiundani katika suala hilo ambalo hivi karibuni limekuwa likizua maswali mengi.

Awali wakati wa ujenzi huo unaanza, serikali ilijigamba kwamba ungekuwa na tija ikiwemo kujiendesha kwa faida na kuwahudumia wamachinga wanaozagaa hovyo katika maeneo mbalimbali ya jiji la Dar es Salaam.

Hata hivyo, mradi huo hivi sasa umeshindwa kutekeleza malengo hayo sambamba na kushindwa kulipa deni la NSSF.

KAULI YA ZUNGU
Mbunge wa Ilala, Musa Azzan Zungu, ambaye alikuwa katika bodi ya ujenzi wa jengo hilo, aliliambia NIPASHE kuwa kazi aliyokuwa amepewa ni kuwakusanya wamachinga na kuwaingiza katika jengo hilo ili wafanye biashara.

Zungu alisema kazi hiyo aliifanya kwa ufanisi na kufanikiwa kupata wamachinga 5,000 ambapo kila mmoja alitakiwa kulipia kizimba chake Sh. 60,000 kwa mwezi kama kodi.

“Mimi kazi yangu ilimalizika baada ya kuingiza wamachinga 5,000 ili wafanye biashara katika jengo hilo, lakini kazi ya kuhakikisha wanadumu hapo bila kuhama pamoja na kulipa kodi hilo siyo suala langu tena,” alisema Zungu.

Hata hivyo, taarifa kutoka vyanzo vyetu vya habari, zinasema kuwa baadhi ya watalaamu wamekuwa wakishauri yawekwe mabango ya matangazo  juu ya jengo hilo ili kusaidia kulipa deni hilo, lakini suala hilo linakwamishwa kutokana na vitendo vya ufisadi.

Taarifa hizo zinasema kuwa kama ushauri huo ungekubalika na kutekelezwa, jiji lingeweza kupata zaidi ya Sh. milioni 30 kwa mwezi kutokana na mabango ya matangazo ambazo zingesaidia kulipia mkopo wa NSSF.

MEYA MASABURI
Meya wa jiji la Dar es Salaam, Dk. Didas Masaburi, alipotafutwa hivi karibuni kuzungumzia sakata hilo, aliitupia lawama Manispaa ya Ilala kwa maelezo kuwa ndiyo ilikuwa inashughulika na utaratibu wa kuwaingiza wamachinga katika jengo hilo.

MKURUGENZI ILALA AKOSOA
Mkurugenzi wa Manispaa ya Ilala, Gabriel Fuime, alipotafutwa na NIPASHE ili kutoa ufafanuzi wa sakata hilo, alithibitisha kuwa mradi huo haulipi kama ilivyotarajiwa na waliotoa wazo la kuuanzisha.

Aidha, Fuime alithibitisha kwamba mabilioni ya fedha yalitumika katika kujenga jengo hilo, lakini akaweka bayana kwamba ni mradi ambao hauna faida.

Mkurugenzi huyo wa Manispaa ya Ilala aliongeza kwamba mapato kutoka kwa wamachinga hayatoshi kulipia deni la NSSF ambalo kwa sasa linazidi kuongezeka kutokana na riba.
Fuime alithibitisha kuwa Manispaa ya Ilala ilishirikishwa katika kuanzisha mradi huo, lakini alisema walioingia  katika mkataba ni Ofisi ya jiji la Dar es Salaam pamoja na NSSF.

“NSSF walitoa fedha kwa ajili ya ujenzi wa jengo hilo huku jiji likitoa ardhi kama dhamana yake katika kukamilisha mradi huu,” alisema Fuime.

Alisema mradi wa jengo hilo haulipi kwa kuwa wafanyabishara ndogondogo waliokuwa wamekusudiwa kupewa hawana uwezo wa kulipa fedha ili NSSF warudishe mtaji wao pamoja na riba.

Kwa mujibu wa Fuime, ujenzi wa jengo hilo ulifanyika bila kufanyika utafiti wa kina kubaini aina ya jengo lililotakiwa kujengwa pamoja na eneo lilipotakiwa kuwekwa.

Fuime alisema kuwa kutokana na mambo hayo kutozingatiwa, ndiyo maana NSSF inacheleweshwa kulipwa deni lake na kwamba kuna uwezekano mkubwa kwa shirika hilo kuchelewa kupata fedha hizo.
“Mmachinga anatakiwa kujengewa jengo la kawaida ambalo siyo ghorofa na kama likiwa ghorofa basi iwe ghorofa moja, lakini sio kama lile jengo la sasa la Machinga Complex ambalo lina ghorofa zaidi ya mbili,” alisema Fuime.

Aidha, Fuime aliliambia NIPASHE kuwa jengo la aina ile lilitakiwa kuweka soko la wamachinga pamoja na kuwa katika kituo cha daladala ili kuvutia wateja.

Fuime alikiri kuwa siasa ni miongoni mwa vitu vinavyochangia kukwamisha juhudi za watalaamu wanaotaka kubuni njia mbadala za kuwavuta wamachinga wengi ili waingie katika jengo hilo na kufanya biashara.

“Mtalaamu akisema hivi anakuja mwanasiasa anasema acheni watu wangu msiwaguse kwa hiyo mnajikuta mnashindwa kufanikisha miradi mbalimbali inayobuniwa kitalaamu,” alisema.

Aidha, alisema wamachinga waliopewa vizimba katika jengo hilo wengi wao hawakustahili na kwamba waliostahili hawakupata fursa hiyo.

Alifafanua kuwa utaratibu uliotumika kuwaingiza wamachinga hao ni kuwatumia viongozi vya vyama vya wafanyabishara hao na kwamba taratibu kadhaa zilikiukwa.

“Kutokana na makosa hayo yote niliyosema, ni vigumu jengo la Machinga Complex kutengeneza faida hata kama lingekuwepo miaka mingapi kwa kuwa wapangaji wake ambao ni wafanyabiasha ndogo ndogo hawana uwezo wa kulipa mapato ya kutosha,” alisema.

MAONI YA WAMACHINGA
Baadhi ya wafanyabiashara ndogondogo waliozungumza na NIPASHE walisema wakati ujenzi wa jengo hilo unaanza waliamini watapata sehemu nzuri ya kufanyia biashara zao, lakini bahati mbaya eneo hilo limekuwa halilipi kwa kuwa hakuna wateja.
Said Haule, alisema watu waliopewa vizimba vya kufanyia biashara siyo wenzao kwa kuwa walichukuliwa watu wengine na kugawiwa huku wao wakibakia katika soko la Karume.

Haule alisema hakuna mmachinga mwenye mtaji mdogo wa mashati matano ambaye anahitaji kuwa mpangaji katika ghorofa kama lile la Machinga Complex.

John Mwakyoma alisema wamachinga wengi waliokuwa wamelengwa kufanya biashara katika jengo hilo wameachwa nje.
Alisema mbali ya kuachwa nje na kukosa nafasi katika jengo hilo, lakini pia wamachinga waliopewa vizimba wameshindwa kufanya biashara vizuri kwa kuwa ni vidogo pamoja na eneo hilo kutokuwa na wateja.
Mkopo wa NSSF kwa ajili ya Machinga Complex ni moja ya mikopo iliyotajwa katika ripoti ya Mdhibiti na Mkaguzi Mkuu wa Hesabu za Serikali (CAG) ya mwaka 2010/11 kuwa ya utatanishi inayoweza kusababisha fedha za wanachama kupotea.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

SSRA yaanisha changamoto mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii

Na Mwandishi wetu

8th October 2011

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Muundo wa kisheria wa mifuko ya hifadhi jamii nchini ni moja changamoto zinazoikabili Mamlaka ya Usimamizi na Udhibiti wa Sekta ya Hifadhi ya Jamii nchini (SSRA).

Kauli hiyo ilitolewa jijini Dar es Salaam juzi na Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa SSRA, Irene Isaka, alipozungumza na wahariri wakuu wa vyombo vya habari kuhusu kazi za Mamlaka hiyo katika kusimamia mifuko ya jamii nchini.

Alisema hali ilivyo sasa mifuko hiyo kisheria inaripoti kwa wizara tofauti, akitaja kuwa Mfuko wa Pensheni Watumishi wa Umma (PSPF), Mfuko wa Pensheni ya Mashirika ya Umma (PPF) na GEPF iko chini ya Wizara ya Fedha; Mfuko wa Bima Afya (NHIF) uko chini ya Wizara ya Afya na Ustawi wa Jamii; Shirika la Hifadhi ya Jamii (NSSF) chini ya Wizara ya Kazi na Ajira na Mfuko wa Watumishi wa Serikali za Mitaa (LAPF) uko chini ya Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu Tawala za Mikoa na za Serikali Mitaa (Tamisemi).

Kadhalika, Isaka alisema kila mfuko una sera yake ya uwekezaji, wigo finyu wa hifadhi ya jamii kwa Watanzania yote kwa pamoja ikiwa imesajili asilimia mbili tu ya Watanzania wote.

Mifuko hiyo ina jumla ya wanachama 853,531 kati ya Watanzania milioni 42.

Mkurugenzi huyo alitaja changamoto nyingine kuwa ni mfumo ulipo sasa unabana wanachama kwani hauruhusu kuhamia mfuko mwingine; fofauti kwenye ukokotoaji wa mafao, tofauti kubwa ya mafao kati ya mifuko; ukosefu wa takwimu sahihi; gharama kubwa za uendeshaji wa mifuko, uelewa mdogo wa hifadhi ya jamii kwa watunga sera, waajiri na waajiriwa na umma kwa ujumla.

Isaka alisema ukosefu wa pensheni ya wazee ni changamoto kubwa kwani ni asilimia nne tu ya wazee ndio wanaopata mafao hayo.

Alisema mamlaka hiyo mpya kwa kushirikiana na Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (BoT) imepata mtathmini ambaye anapitia tathimini zote za mifuko, hali ambayo itawasaidia kujua thamani halisi ya mifuko yote nchini.

Alisema baada ya kukamilika kwa zoezi hilo, SSRA watatoa taarifa na miongozo mbalimbali ili kusimamia vema sekta ya mifuko ya jamii nchini.

Isaka alisema SSRA inatarajia kuwa na wiki ya hifadhi ya jamii ambayo itafanyika Novemba mwaka huu ambayo mifuko yote ya hifadhi ya jamii itapata fursa ya kueleza umma shughuli wanazofanya ili Watanzania waijue.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

Dk Bilal: Mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii ina mchango mkubwa

Na George Ramadhan

20th April 2012

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Makamu wa Rais, Dk. Mohamed Gharib Bilal

Mifuko ya Hifadhi ya Jamii nchini imetajwa kuwa na mchango mkubwa katika ukuaji wa sekta ya fedha ambayo imekua kwa zaidi ya asilimia 80 kwa kipindi cha miaka tisa kutoka Sh. bilioni 1,637 mwaka 2001 hadi Sh. bilioni 10,040 mwaka 2009.

Hayo yalisemwa jijini Mwanza jana na Makamu wa Rais, Dk. Mohamed Gharib Bilal, alipokuwa akifungua mkutano mkuu wa mwaka wa Mfuko wa Akiba ya Wafanyakazi Serikalini (GEPF) unaofanyika jijini hapa.

Dk. Bilal alisema serikali inatambua mchango mkubwa wa Mifuko ya Hifadhi ya Jamii ukiwemo GEPF katika kukuza uchumi wa taifa hususani sekta ya fedha.

Kwa mujibu wa Dk. Bilal, Mifuko ya Hifadhi ya Jamii inachangia asilimia 21 katika sekta ya fedha kiwango alichosema ni kikubwa.

Hata hivyo, alisema bado ni Watanzania wachache sana wanaopata kinga dhidi ya majanga kupitia mifuko hiyo.

Alifafanua kwamba takwimu zinaonyesha kuwa kati ya Watanzania milioni 22.4 wenye uwezo wa kuzalisha kipato, waliojiunga na mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii hawazidi asilimia sita.

Awali katika maelezo yake mafupi kwa mgeni rasmi, Kaimu Mwenyekiti wa Bodi ya GEPF, Ladslaus Salema, alisema mpango wa hiari wa kujiwekea akiba ya uzeeni ulianzishwa na mfuko huo umekuwa na mafanikio makubwa katika kipindi cha miaka miwili cha utekezwaji wake.

Alisema tangu mwaka 2009 mpango huo ulipoanzishwa jumla ya Watanzania 11,219 wamejiunga na kujiwekea akiba ya Sh. milioni 994.07 hadi kufikia mwezi Machi, mwaka huu.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

Mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii yaaswa kuboresha mafao ya wanachama

Na Mwandishi wetu

13th July 2011

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Hifadhi ya jamii (NSSF)

Chama cha Wafanyakazi wa Serikali Kuu na Afya (Tughe), kimeitaka mifuko ya hifadhi ya jamii (NSSF) na ya watumishi wa serikali za mitaa (LAPF) kuboresha mafao ya wanachama wao ili wanapostaafu wapate mafao yatakayowawezesha kujikwamua kiuchumi tofauti na ilivyo sasa.

Katibu wa Tughe mkoa wa Mara, Watson Lushakuzi, alitoa kauli hiyo katika taarifa yake ya utekelezaji wa kazi wa chama hicho katika kipindi cha miaka mitano iliyopita iliyowasilishwa kwenye mkutano mkuu wa Tughe mkoa.

Lushakuzi alisema mafao yanayotolewa kwa watumishi wa mifuko hiyo ni kidogo sana jambo linalowafanya wastaafu kuendelea kukabiliwa na hali ya umaskini licha ya kutumikia utumishi wao kwa zaidi ya miaka 30.

Alitolea mfano wa watumishi wengi waliostaafu miaka ya hivi karibuni wakiwa wamejiunga na mifuko hiyo wamejikuta wakiambualia kiasi cha kati ya Sh. 700,000 na milioni 1.2 huku wenzao wa Mfuko wa Utumishi wa Umma (PSPF) wakivuna mamilioni ya shilingi wanapostaafu.

Ameishauri mifuko hiyo ya NSSF, LAPF, PPF na GEPF kuboresha huduma ya mifuko kwa wanachama wake kama ilivyofanyika kwa Mfuko wa Watumishi wa Umma (PSPF) badala ya kuegemea zaidi kutumia fedha za wanachama kuwekeza katika miradi mbalimbali ikiwemo ile ya ujenzi wa majengo ya kibiashara, madaraja na vivuko.

Katibu huyo wa Tughe mkoani Mara ambaye pia ni mwanachama wa NSSF, alisema licha ya makato yanayofanywa na mifuko hiyo, bado huduma wanazotakiwa kupewa wanachama hazitolewi kabisa ikiwa ni pamoja na matibabu, mafao ya ulemavu, huduma za mazishi huku wastaafu wakikosa pesheni ya kila mwezi.

CHANZO: NIPASHE

Minimum pension 50,000/- from January 2010 - PPF

By The guardian reporter

15th September 2009

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PPF director-general William Erio

The minimum monthly pension paid through the Parastatals Pensions Fund (PPF) will be raised to 50,000/- effective January next year, the Fund has announced.
PPF director-general William Erio made the announcement during an editors’ forum hosted by the Fund at the weekend in Morogoro.
“Effective January next year, the minimum pension paid to our retirees will be 50,000/-, up from the current 20,000/- per month,” he said.
However, he said, a thorough assessment on all pensioners listed under the PPF will be made to identify ghost pensioners, if any.
“An assessment will be undertaken first because we need to be absolutely sure we are not paying ghost pensioners,” said Erio.
According to the PPF director of Pension Services, Badru Msangi the number of pensioners receiving monthly payments reached 20,216 by the end of August, this year.
“The number excludes children of deceased members receiving education benefits,” he elaborated. The total amount of pension benefits paid to the members is over 1.2bn/- per month.
Msangi said the amount of pension has grown tremendously from the 12,850/-, which was paid to 23 members in 1971.
Meanwhile, the global financial crisis is crippling investments in the country’s social security sector, according to PPF top officials.
Both PPF director-general Erio and the Fund’s acting director for Planning and Investments Nathan Mnyawami have admitted that the crisis has adversely affected real estate segment.
Mnyawami said the Fund was facing difficulties in collecting rents from customers who have been affected by the global crunch and likewise, benefits gained from investments in the hotel industry were not paying much as they used to previously.
Erio on the other hand said most hotels and tour operators have laid off workers, as a result the Fund, which also accepts membership from the private sector, have lost a substantial number of clients who before the crunch contributed monthly.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Mkullo`s dramatic U-turn on pension funds situation

By Rodgers Luhwago

18th October 2009

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Panic, disbelief and anger now engulf some employees following a shocking statement made by Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Mustafa Mkullo in Arusha on Friday, that some public pension funds are financially unstable.

Shortly thereafter, several individuals who declined to reveal their names made phone calls to The Guardian on Sunday’s news desk, the common thread of their sentiments being that “the government is grossly irresponsible”.

Opening the annual Parastatal Pension Fund (PPF) conference for members and stakeholders, the minister was quoted to have mentioned PSPF and LAPF as social security funds that were experiencing financial problems to the level that may force the Government to bail them out.

One of the callers was a fuming, high profile bank official who said by making the statement, the minister showed how irresponsible he was when it comes to serious matters directly touching people’s lives.

“We have been contributing money to the social security funds hoping to relieve our lives’ hardships upon retirement. Now, what message does the minister communicate to us when he says the pension funds have started experiencing liquidity problems? ”

She angrily added: “The minister should tell us about the whereabouts of our money, considering the fact that some of us are about to retire from service.”

She furthermore said that poor performance by the social security schemes emanated from haphazard investment decisions combined with poor record keeping, as well as lack of accountability by officials running them. Most of the callers said they no longer trusted the pension funds unless the government assured them that their post-retirement dues were secure.

However, in what appeared to be a dramatic U-turn, Minister Mkullo strongly denied having said some pension funds were financially unstable to an extent of needing bailout, blaming the media for misquoting him.

“I never said that some pension funds have started experiencing liquidity problems in my speech in Arusha. There is nowhere in my speech where I made such remarks,” said Mkullo in a brief telephone interview, adding that a section of the media exaggerated the matter.

He added: “ I would like to assure the public that no pension fund is financially unstable as it was reported, and that therefore a bailout plan is immaterial.”

According to Mkullo, some lecturers who attended the conference demanded that the PPF Act be reviewed so that payment systems can be the same as those used by others, such as the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

According to Mkullo, lecturers from higher learning institutions complained of receiving little pension compared to low ranking personnel served by other pension funds upon retirement.

“ Having lodged the complaints, I told them that the law governing PPF operations was very specific and different from the laws governing the activities of other pension funds,’ he said. However, contributing to the subject an economist from the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Semboja Haji, said such poor performance of the pension schemes in question may have resulted from lack of expertise on the side of officials on how to run them.

He added that what has befallen the pension funds may be no different from the fate that befell the National Insurance Corporation (NIC). He cited lack of accountability, conducive legal framework and failure of trusted executives to adhere to the leadership ethics as among the factors that might have caused the negative state of affairs.

The local economist also said running pension schemes requires high discipline that is supported by certain internationally accepted regulations. He said if anyone tempered with those regulations, the consequences would be horrendous. However, he could not get into the details about the regulations.

Prof Ibrahim Lipumba, the Civic United Front( CUF) national chairman who is also an economist supported Dr Haji’s arguments, saying failure to stick to the leadership ethics by the executives is a central factor accounting for poor performance of some pension funds .

Giving an example, Prof Lipumba said at one time some pension schemes were blamed for lending money to some businessmen who invested in projects whose returns were doubtful.

“If a pension schemes decides to invest in any project then such area of investment must be very safe or else at the end of the day it may fail to pay its members their benefits. As far as I am concerned, I think this is an aspect that creates problems when it comes to the operations of these pension schemes,” he said.

Prof Lipumba said he was not certain if there was any auditing of the assets belonging to the pension funds to establish their actual value compared to the cost incurred in setting them up.

“There has been a tendency of inflating the cost when these pension funds are setting up certain investments and very unfortunately there has never been any auditing to establish the truth. Billions of cash get swindled by leaders trusted to run these schemes through those investments,’ he said.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY