National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is now targeting students
This week, the fund organized what it billed as a career expo where it focused on sensitizing students on the importance of saving for old age when they eventually acquire jobs, soon perhaps after university.
Speaking at the Career Expo that was organised in Mbale Town on April 4, 2018, Lilian Mutungi, the Brand and Marketing Officer at NSSF in Kampaa told The Sunrise that the expo was aimed at sensitizing current and future customers of the fund to save for old age.
“We realized that employers take these fresh graduates (new employees) for granted by exploiting them by not paying their contribution to NSSF. So we help them know their rights while still at school so that they know.”
Mutungi cited a 2015 report that found that in the previous four years, NSSF had received more money than anticipated from new and young employees. She attributed this to the education work they had done amng new graduates about their employment rights.
NSSF is been a mandatory savings scheme for all workers in private formal sector. Recently however, the government has introduced a plan to expand the fund’s coverage to include even workers from the informal sector.
The Vice Rector in charge of Academic Affairs at IUIU Professor Ismail Jagenda thanked NSSF for organizing such the expo and advised students to put in practice what they were taught.
“A part from education, you need other knowledge in future for your job security. Therefore take whatever has been given to you by these guests.”
Namanya Sale, the owner of Kasa Uganda safaris and Kasa lodges and currently working with NSSF advised students to start up their own businesses instead of moving out of the country to become house maids and doing other low quality jobs.
“Our land is endowed with resources you need not to go abroad to become house maids being undermined and facing all sorts of torture and discrimination” Namanya said adding that due to NSSF, he has managed to become a great man in the country now working in his own tourism enterprise.
