via Govt not paying workers medical aid 14/05/2014 NewZimbabwe
GOVERNMENT workers subscribing to scandal-hit Premier Service Medial Aid Society (PSMAS) are being short-changed as it emerged that Government is not remitting monthly contributions to the scheme.
Civil servants make up the bulk of PSMAS membership and legislators warned that government’s failure to remit medical aid contributions was putting the lives of many people at risk.
The government has been forced to defer pay dates for its 230,000 workforce again this month in a development observers said shows the administration is facing serious financial problems.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa admitted in Parliament Wednesday that although government was deducting from its civil servants medical aid subscriptions it was not remitting to PSMAS, citing plunder of resources by top management through “obscene” salaries.
Labode said several medical doctors and health institutions had written to her indicating that PSMAS was failing to pay health service providers owing to non-remittance of subscriptions by the Government.
Other MPs also said the government was risking the lives of members by not remitting the medical aid contributions but Chinamasa insisted that until sanity was restored not cent would be paid to PSMAS.
“We should be congratulated for bringing sanity and rooting out corruption in that organisation,” Chinamasa said much to hilarity from the floor with some MPs shouting that he was heartless.
“We stopped putting finances there until we get its books clean and government has seconded its staff to ensure that its books are clean and that is when we shall start putting our money there.”
Looting of resources was unearthed last year with fired Chief executive officer Cuthbert Dube exposed of taking home not less than $500,000 while the firm was not paying service providers.
According to Labode told the national assembly that most doctors were turning away patients on PSMAS resulting in “unnecessary deaths”.
“I understand what the honourable minister is saying, but I am worried that people are dying while government is busy trying to clean the mess, what are the immediate measures put in place? Labode asked.
“The medical practitioners have written to my committee (Health and Child Welfare) indicating that they are no longer accepting PSMAS members what is government doing about it,” she said.
In his response, Chinamasa said, “We are attending to that issue but it must be noted that we are trying to clear all issues and then we put our money where we have confidence on.”
After being pressed by other MPs who included the vocal Thabitha Khumalo and Willas Madzimure, Chinamasa had to be remorseful in his responses saying “We are going to attend to the issues being raised”.
“Now that the minister has admitted that they are not remitting subscriptions to government, where is the money going to and who is benefiting from that money? Madzimure asked.
Chinamsa said government should not be blamed for the mess at PSMAS where previous management looted funds through massive pay packages.
“I detect a sense that the whole blame is now being heaped on Government. It’s not correct. But clearly we will address that issue,” he said.
“We have demonstrated our commitment to the future of it by rooting up the corruption that was there and restructuring management.
“Government has seconded its staff to start cleaning the finances of PSMAS and we hope that, once this exercise is complete, we will be able to put money on it.”
COMMENTS
My question is, is it compulsory for government employees belong to this medical aid scheme.If not why do they not pullout en-masse and join other providers of this type of service.Also I don’t hear any protests from the various unions who are supposed to be screaming on behalf of their members.
It is compulsory to belong to PSMAS if you are a civil servant.
It is compulsory to contribute to NSSA if you are employed.
These requirements to contribute are gazetted in the Government Gazette as Statutory Instruments (SI) so it is the law that you contribute.
But the contributors get nothing in return.
It may be called theft by statutory instrument.
Where is the money if it is not being paid to PSMAS? Who is covering sick Civil Servants? Are all the ghost workers also covered by medical insurance? So many things for Chinamasa to think about. The result, don’t pay anyone, salaries – tax – medical aid, social security. Final comment by the minister “I am not the one!!”
You ask where the money is? Well it’s spent on far more important medical activities like Grace and Robert’s trips to Singapore and Mutasa’s trip to India.
AND there is an article that these THIEVING SCROUNGING BUFOONS are splashing out on POSH CARS FOR THEMSELVES
Cuthbert Dube was the ZANU man at psmas. It is the government people who raped and plundered the organisation. How then can the very same government fix the problem? Chinamasa and his friends must leave. There is no other way.
And the chief criminal cashbert dube is walking the streets of hre as a free man with full protection from you- know- who
After all, this is an illegal regime, everything its doing is illegal. Do not expect any better.
Honestly what do you expect from a broke government when they are struggling with salaries?