LETTER: UIF problems overlooked
Report does not reveal fund’s inability to administer thousands of claims properly
At a meeting of the parliamentary portfolio committee on employment & labour on March 30 I was astonished to hear a glowing report from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) commissioner about how well the fund has done.
I tried to explain to the commissioner and employment & labour minister that I receive dozens of complaints every day about the fund’s inability to administer properly the thousands of claims it receives. I described the report as lies, damn lies and statistics.
The department keeps telling us that they are statistically performing at more than 90% of the set target (a target they set themselves). I asked what it has done about the UIF money stolen from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The commissioner, Teboho Maruping, said he had a meeting with the PIC and requested a report on money stolen and nonperforming investments.
In essence, I could not get a substantive reply from the UIF commissioner or the minister.
Michael Bagraim, MP, DA deputy shadow employment & labour minister
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