13 Feb 2013

Members of the Botswana Public Officers’ Pension Fund (BPOPF) have been urged to familiarise themselves with the requirements and benefits of the fund.

Addressing Ghanzi council employees recently, the fund’s senior public communication officer, Mr Sekuta Matswe said officers encountered problems after leaving the public service because they did not understand regulations and other requirements governing the fund.

He said there were challenges with industrial workers who wanted to join the pension fund. He however reported that the challenges were being attended to.

Mr Matswe said since the transition, which started last year, it was found out that some employees joined the pension fund from industrial class on their last month of retirement or their retirement year.

He said the problem was that BPOPF only gave out 25 per cent when one had been a member for a period of 5 years, adding that some of the employees were a year old with the fund yet having joined tthe public service for many years.  He said trade unions and other stakeholders were working on how the employees could be assisted.

Mr Matswe encouraged members to read trustee reports and statements sent to them annually so that they understood what was required after termination of employment. 

He said there were people who opted to resign expecting to get their whole pension fund, adding that the fund was meant to cushion one’s livelihood after retirement. Mr Matswe specifically appealed to men to register all their children on the beneficiary nomination forms. ENDS