800 companies exempted from NSSF contributions
National Social Security Fund (NSSF) managing director, Mr Richard Byarugaba. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- On Tuesday, more companies continued donating support to the national Covid-19 response team.
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) says it has allowed 847 companies to suspend monthly remittances of staff contributions to the pension fund due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
While handing over their contribution of Shs381m towards the Covid-19 National Taskforce to government on Tuesday, Mr Richard Byarugaba, the managing director, said they decided to exempt the companies from remitting the money so that they can have steady cash flow during the lockdown. He did not list the companies.
“You must apply in order to benefit. So far, 847 companies have applied and we granted them permission until end of June. This is about Shs12.9b, we shall not be collecting monthly,” he said.
Yesterday, the Fund donated Shs381m towards the Covid-19 national taskforce, Shs60m of which came from NSSF staff.
Mr Byarugaba said they are also fundraising for 5,000 testing kits to support the government initiative to test all suspected cases and staff have been tasked to design strategies which can enable Ugandans resume normal life after the lockdown.
While receiving the donation, the Health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, said government has no choice but screen all truck drivers entering the country even as neighbouring countries have refused to.
Dr Aceng said the fact that it is the truck drivers, who are now importing the virus into the country, means that Uganda has to test all the drivers to suppress and contain the spread of Covid-19.
“When you look at the Covid-19 map for the East African region, Uganda is like an island on its own. Tanzania has red spots all over the Country, In Kenya, the statistics are bad so is Rwanda. We are not sure of what is happening in Burundi and South Sudan,” she said.
Other donations
On Tuesday, more companies continued donating support to the national Covid-19 response team. National Social Security Fund made a cash donation of Shs381m. Oryx energies donated fuel worth Shs80 million. Max imports and exports donated a Shs10 million cheque. Phillips Pharmaceuticals donated a scanner while musician Moses Ssali, aka Bebe Cool, donated 600kgs of beans and a tonne of posho.
