PENSIONERS WANT MORE THAN E1 000

MBABANE – Fresh from winning a seven per cent increase on their monthly pension retired former civil servants are now demanding a review of their monthly minimum pension of E1 000.

This is exclusive of the 32 per cent increment they have since demanded, as a ‘salary review’ of sorts, following government’s review of public servants’ salaries in July this year.
They are beneficiaries of the Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF).
The PSPF is a social security scheme established by Public Service Retirement Benefits Act No. 2 of 1999.

Its main purpose is to provide for collection of contributions and payment of terminal benefits to members.
The pensioners say the E1 000, which most of their members are paid, was too low.
The fund had 23 868 members as at August 31, 2016 who are receiving a monthly pension.
They include 7 703 principal pensioners (retired government employees), 5 935 surviving spouses and 10 230 dependants.
The pensioners expect an increase of the minimum pension to any figure above E1 000.

Pensioners paid the minimum pension are mainly those who were lowly-paid civil servants.
Patrick Bhembe, chairperson of the Public Service Pensioners Association, said the call for a minimum wage was necessitated by the ever increasing cost of living. 
He said the review of the minimum annuity was a condition set out in Section 3 of the Public Service Order of 1993.
Among other things, this section states that there shall be an actuarial report undertaken after every three years, to evaluate the pension scheme viability.
He said the report also makes recommendations on whether to increase the pension or not.

“No one should be paid a minimum wage less than E1 000. This is because life is now very expensive and it is very difficult for pensioners to live on E1 000,” he said.
The request has since been submitted to the PSPF.

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