KIGALI - Around 461 employees of Roko Construction Company are not registered with the Social Security Fund of Rwanda (SSFR), Sunday Times can reveal. This means that when the employees reach the retirement age, none of them can receive a pension.

The registration law stipulates that an employer register fully their employee in the first eight days of work. According to documents available at SSFR, Roko registered with SSFR in 2002 and have been remitting to the pension fund.

However, the company has not registered its employees enabling them to acquire affiliation numbers they will use during retirement to claim their pension.

At the age of 55, SSFR members are entitled to pensions. According to the acting head of declaration and returns at SSFR, Innocent Nyirishema, most construction companies deliberately refuse to comply with the laws.

Nyirishema revealed that SSFR was visiting institutions to crosscheck whether what the employers give the SSFR reflect the realities on the ground. Institutions found to have undeclared their employees will be fined or taken to court.

"We are trying all possible strategies to see that every worker in Rwanda is registered and benefits from his or her toil,” Nyirishema said.

The Director of Contributions and Benefits, Oswald Munyandekwe, explained that SSFR has held several meetings with employers, sensitising them their roles and responsibilities on matters regarding registering their employees with the fund.

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