In January 2023, Parliament established a select committee to investigate the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) amid allegations of mismanagement. The resulting report was presented and adopted in March 2023. This report delves into the delay in acting on these findings and the various reasons behind it.
In the aftermath of a parliamentary investigation into the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in early 2023, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, has cited reasons for the government’s delay in taking action on the report.
The Parliamentary resolution in March 2023 outlined four distinct components for action. These components involved key governmental bodies, including the Auditor General, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Gender, and the Inspector General of Government (IGG).
However, a recent attempt to present the action taken on this report faced an unexpected delay. During the plenary sitting on October 25, 2023, Minister Amongi disclosed that the delay was due to the IGG’s release of partial findings.
According to Amongi, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has requested additional time to address some of the Parliamentary resolutions. Specifically, the IGG is focusing on conducting lifestyle audits and exploring related aspects as part of the investigative process.
Furthermore, Amongi revealed that the Auditor General has not concluded their assessment of any of the resolutions, emphasizing that the work is still in progress. Additionally, the Director of Public Prosecution indicated that the matters referred to them by Parliament are actively under investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division.
As the process unfolds, the Ministry of Finance has communicated its expectations. Amongi received a letter from the Ministry of Finance, urging the NSSF to undertake the implementation of specific issues under their purview.
In the role of coordinator, the Ministry of Gender is working to align various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the government’s response to the NSSF probe report. Importantly, Amongi noted that many of the concerns initially referred to her Ministry have already been addressed in the IGG’s report. The lingering question, however, is when the government will take substantial action in response to the wider NSSF probe report.
