VICE-PRESIDENT Mutale Nalumango has called on the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) to register market traders as people in informal employment.
Addressing traders at BH Market in Lusaka, Vice President Nalumango said there was an urgent need for NAPSA to register all traders in markets, especially women, to be contributing to the scheme so that they can also retire with dignity.
She noted that there was need for NAPSA to also extend the provision of income security against the risk arising from retirement (old age), death and invalidity to traders.
“Iyi eko yaba, NAPSA, bonsefye tufwile twakwata pension (This policy is there, all of us need to have a pension). I am calling on NAPSA to go into markets and register marketeers as people in informal employment, the policy which you have as NAPSA, so that our marketeers can also retire with dignity … I am calling upon NAPSA once more: come into markets and register all women that want to register so that they prepare for retirement,” Vice President Nalumango said.
In the same vein, Vice President Nalumango urged traders to also be contributing to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIMA) instead of waiting until they are sick to access the scheme.
“Even people in markets are human and should be registered as contributors to both NAPSA and NHIMA – not just this market but all, this is your policy,” said Vice President Nalumango.
NAPSA was established in February 2000 by the National Pension Scheme Act no. 40 of 1996, following the closure of the Zambia National Provident Fund and repeal of the Act under which it was formed.
ZNPF stopped receiving contributions on January 31, 2000.
The implementation of NHIMA commenced on October 1, 2019
