Maternity Benefits Increased

Nico Smit

27 May 2011

The Social Security Commission has increased its maternity benefits by N$1 000. This will come into effect on June 1.

Speaking at a media briefing in Windhoek, the SSC’s Head of Corporate Communication, Rino Muranda, said that the 11 per cent increase is in line with the Commission’s commitment to pay 100 per cent maternity leave benefits to women, as well as to ultimately phase out the ceiling for maternity benefits.

Sick-leave and death benefit payments will remain unchanged.

Sick-leave benefit payments will continue to be 75 per cent of the maximum basic wage of N$9 000 per month for the first 12 months and 65 per cent for the last 12 months. This translates into N$6 750 per month and N$5 850 per month for the two periods respectively.

With regard to the death benefit, the payment will remain at N$5 000, and the same amount is payable for both the retirement and disability benefits under the Maternity leave, Sick leave and Death benefits (MSD) Fund.

Muranda said that member contributions will not be increased, and that the MSD Fund would carry the cost of the adjustment, making this the third time that the SSC increases its maternity leave benefits without making adjustments to contributions from members.

In the last financial year, the SSC paid out N$110 million in benefits of which N$ 82,1 million was paid out as maternity leave benefits.

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