Unions want K125 million repaid before July 31

TRANSPORT sector unions have given the government until July 31 to repay K125 million of contributors funds back to Nasfund, The National reports.

The National Airline Employees Association, the National Air Pilots Union, Aircraft Engineers Association and the Maritime and Transport Workers Union issued a joint statement on the controversial issuance of Sovereign Community Infrastructure Treasury Bills by Nasfund.

Sector union leaders John Mahuk (PNGM & TWU), Edward Foe (NAEA), Captain Joseph Kumasi (NAPU) and Geoffrey Atiken called on the Ombudsman Commission to investigate the ministers involved.

The demands from the transport sector unions included:

*An independent bo­dy to conduct investigations and for the government to immediately repay the K125 million with 7.05% interest by July 31;

*Those responsible for the disbursement of the funds must face criminal charges and an interim board be set-up with fair representation because the workers had lost trust and confidence in the management and the running of Nasfund by the current board;

*Senior ministers in­volved should be referred to the Ombudsman Commission;

*A remedial plan be immediately put in place to stop unnecessary use of contributors funds; and,

*That if the money earmarked for the Ko­ko­po project has been misappropriated and used to start new businesses then the contributors should have allocated shares.

On behalf of the transport sector unions, Mahuk said their interest was to safeguard the members' funds and they did not want to see a repetition of Nasfund board's "mismanagement and misguided ambition to satisfy the government and its needs".

"Members have not forgotten the 15% write-down being experienced some years back due to mismanagement of the superannuation funds," he added.