The Ministry of Public Service is planning to launch an activity to validate and create a pensioners database in a move aimed at eliminating ghost pensioners.
The Minister Muruli Mukasa told journalists today at Media Center in Kampala, that census of pensioners and claimants will begin on February 13 to March 30 2017 across the country.
“We want to come up with a register that is clean in order to establish the total number off valid pension and reduce invalid residual claims,” he said
Adding that; “the exercise which will be carried out at all district headquarters is estimated to cost Ush 930 million.”
“It is free. Pensioners will only need a National Identification card.”
As of December 2016, Uganda had a total of 7,085 pensioners on the payroll which translates to Ush 249 billion per year. In 2015, government decided to decentralize pension management which meant that pensioners would be identified by their votes of retirement to guarantee continued payment.
In a bid to eliminate ghost beneficiaries, the Minister said the validation will put to rest the burden of pensioners walking long distances in pursuit of their benefits.
Catherine Bitarakwate, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service said validation for pensioners who work in the central region and are unable to go to their districts for the exercise, will be conducted at the National Archives Centre starting March 20 to March 24.
