12 employees from National Social Security Fund in Tanzania suspended over graft
Six directors, six managers suspended in Tanzania’s Nationa Social Security Fund (NSSF) to make way for investigations into alleged embezzlement, office abuse, violation of rules and regulations governing investment and project management following an audit report that was released yesterday reports Swahili Times.
According to Tanzania Daily News, NSSF Director General’s office issued statement said the July 15, 2016 board meeting that Professor Samwel Wangwe chaired issued the suspension order.
There was found to be lack of transparency and performance reporting in the implementation of the procurement plan and didn’t follow the rules and regulations of Public Procurement Act of 2011 according to the audit report by Ernst & Young. In addition, the organization was found to have overlooked the tendering process, such as submitting all tenders above fifty millions to AG for vetting before the contract is signed by the parties.
The audit also pointed out that the organization was not conducting performance reviews officially but rather on an informal and ad hoc manner that is not documented. Interview results not found in employees’ personal files as evidence for recruitment, making it difficult to know if the employees are eligible for the position entitled.
NSSF didn’t properly register assets with some assets not having the exact date of purchasing or could be physically seen but not found in the asset’s register such as vehicles, plots and some machines in the office. This will make it easier for misappropriation of assets or assets disappearing without management knowledge.
Senior management person was awarded loans that were above 50 percent of all assets owned by SACCOS contrary to the laws that says that loans can only be issued to 50 percent of SACCOS ‘ assets. These are among the issues that have been noted and brought forad to the NSSF’s board attention and led to the suspension of officials’ whose position gave them a role in these problems.
