Mbabane: It is a relief for employers as Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) has suspended contributions for the months of April and May as the novel Covid-19 continues to menacingly weave its ugly head.
In a public notice released by the Fund’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prince Lonkhokhela, following the issuance of General Notice No.22 of 2020; Guidelines on Employment Contingency Measures in response to coronavirus by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, elucidations have been made for the benefit of employees and members of the Fund. “In relation to contributions for the month of March 2020, are however expected to be paid to the Fund by April 21, 2020 to avoid incurring penalties, The Fund hereby announce the suspension of April and May 2020 contributions and divert these to cushion wages and salaries payments,” the statement read in part.
The suspension refers to the statutory contributions that employers are expected to pay to the Fund on behalf of their employees on a monthly basis as provided by the ENPF Order of 1974. With some businesses’ operations brought to a halt by the global pandemic, with some employers turning to cut employees’ salaries by certain percentages, ENPF has timeously read the situation. “The subsequent contributions after the March 2020 contributions shall therefore be in respect of June 2020, which shall be payable by July 21. 2020. The suspension of the ENPF contributions for the months of April and May is one of the proposed mitigation measures that employers could invoke to minimize loss of earnings by workers,” Prince Lonkhekhala said.
The Prince continues in the statement that those employers who can afford to pay contributions on behalf of their employees for the months of April and May are at liberty to do so.
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