THE National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) has disclosed that about 76 percent of Zambians have no access to social security and that the situation has worried the authority.
NAPSA feels that the discrepancy in the contributory category for people who are supposed to be contributing towards their social security is as a result of lack of adequate awareness.
Speaking when he officiated at a Media Engagement Meeting in Chipata today, NAPSA Director General Muyangwa Muyangwa has since called for enhanced media relations with the authority, as a means to remedy the situation.
ZANIS reports that Mr Muyangwa said the institution recognized the role that the media plays in ensuring that information reaches the targeted audience.
“We have come to realize that there is an information gap that needs to be filled but it needs to be filled with accurate and correct information about NAPSA. That gap once filled will convince our members. Our members will get to understand why NAPSA was created, how NAPSA functions, what NAPSA is doing and what value we create for our members, and you as the media you are our members as well. Therefore it is for your own good as well,” he said.
Mr Muyangwa indicated that it is NAPSA’s desire to ensure that it is transparent in its various undertakings.
“We want to be more transparent, we shall discuss the results as they come out we shall have media engagements at the beginning of each year to make sure that we provide you with our plans and any other activities that we wish to undertake for that year to make sure you can help us reach our intended recipients,” he said.
And Eastern Press Club President Julius Phiri indicated to the pension house the need to motivate the media through media awards to encourage media houses to do more on social protection schemes.
“What we are looking for from you is about networking, it’s about media awards. We are aware that some media awards are more Lusaka based, than Eastern based, so we want media awards in rural places like the Eastern Province,” he said.
