The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has urged employers and companies seeking to obtain pension clearance certificates to stop using touts and agents.
The Head, Corporate Communications of PenCom, Mr Abdulqadir Dahiru, said this in a statement he made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
He added: “ The use of touts and agents to obtain pension clearance certificate is illegal and contrary to the provisions of section 104 (b) and (c) of the Pension Reform Act 2014.
“Issuance of certificate is free of charge, the application process is also very easy and transparent, the commission strongly advises employers to deal directly with it on matters relating to applications for issuance of pension clearance certificate.”
Dahiru said that that employers wishing to obtain such certificates were required to forward their applications together with the some required documents.
They include:“ Certified list of employees of the organisation as at the end of the last fiscal year, the certification should be done with an authorised official of the applicant organisation.
Monthly pension
“ Certified rate of monthly pension contributions, specifying employer and employee rates.
“The rates relating to the monthly emoluments are minimum of ten per cent by the employer and minimum of eight per cent by the employee.
“ Evidence of remittance of monthly pension contributions for all employees as follows, for the last three fiscal years for organisations that were in existence for that period.
“Have three or more staffers, for organisations that have not been in existence for the last three fiscal years, from the date of incorporation/registration/licensing to the last fiscal year.”
According to Dahiru, such ducounets also include an evidence of remittance of all outstanding pension contributions and penalties, foor late remittance.
“Evidence of transfer of pension fund and assets held prior to the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to a licensed pension fund operator.
Life Insurance Policy
“This is only applicable to organisations that had pension arrangements or were in custody of pension assets before June 2004.
““Evidence of current Group Life Insurance Policy procured for the staff of the organisation specifying the number of lives and sum assured,” Dahiru said.
He said that all applicants were to note, “it takes seven working days for the commission to process applications submitted with full documentation.”
Dahiru said that the application was currently in the process of automation, adding ” until this is completed, certificates of compliance can be picked up at the offices where applications were submitted.”
He said that the applications can be submitted at the commission or any of its six geopolitical zones.
Also, applicants can track their applications by visiting the commission’s website where the list of organisations issued clearance certificates is updated daily.