Current Edition >> Archives Section >> Spot Coverage >> May 2002
ON 1 April 2002, the new Unemployment Insurance Act came into operation, aimed at a broader category of beneficiaries of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, improving contribution collection and optimising the efficiency of the Fund. Some of the main provisions of the new Act are:
• Unemployment benefits are now being paid for a maximum of 34 weeks to contributors who, once they have reported their unemployment status to the UIF offices, register as work seekers with the Department of Labour and do so within six weeks of becoming unemployed.
• De-linking maternity benefits from unemployment benefits, which means that women who draw maternity benefits, do not forfeit the right to claim other benefits.
• Illness benefits for those contributors who are no longer able to perform work due to illness and as a result have been unemployed for more than two years.
• Benefits for dependants of the deceased UIF contributor.
Whilst domestic and seasonal workers are not covered by the UIF at this stage, the option is under investigation. Amongst the reforms that will be introduced with this new legislation is the increasing of coverage to bring every working person within the UIF net and to ensure that the fund's income is increased whilst those at the low end of the earnings threshold are compensated at income levels that are more equitable.
The transfer of revenue collection to the South African Revenue Services is said to enable the fund to benefit from the current tough compliance regime of SARS. All employers that are currently registered with SARS, must pay their contributions to SARS, with effect from 1 April 2002. Those employers that are not liable to register for tax purposes, must continue to pay their contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
“The Act requires that an electronic contributor database be created containing individual contribution records for each contributor. This will eliminate paper-based operations including the current Blue Card system. It will also eliminate the potential for fraudulent claims because each claimant can be pre-qualified for benefits, even before the beneficiary reports to the offices for the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Above all, this measure will increase compliance by requiring employers to submit declarations of those in their employ, their income and any other detail that may be prescribed by the law”, concluded a media release from the Dept. of Labour.
THE search for South Africa's Woman of the Year, South Africa's premier accolade for achievement by women, is underway. Nominations are being called for outstanding women in seven categories. The award, which is a major initiative for National's Women's Day, seeks to identify and pay tribute to the top achieving women in the country in the following seven categories: Community, business, sport, health, education, media & communications and arts & culture. By highlighting the achievements of women, the award hopes to provide success stories and role models that inspire others and so contributes to the upliftment of women in general.
The closing date for nominations is Friday, 31 May 2002. The overall winner and the category winners will be announced on SABC 3 at 19:00 on National Women's Day Friday, 9 August 2002.
For more information, website at sawomen.co.za could be visited or Adéle Gouws be contacted at tel (011) 465 5225 or e-mail calibro@lantic.net.
OP 'n media- en besigheidsvoorligting op 17 April 2002 in Bloemfontein, het die streekskabtoor van Sanlam die huidige omvattende dienste van die maatskappy uiteengesit. Tydens vraetyd het dit na vore gekom dat die moontlikheid dat Sanlam binne afsienbare tyd op een of ander wyse ook bankdienste sal aanbied, nie 'n kwessie van of is nie, maar van wanneer.
Die nuwe Besigheidsontwikkelings-bestuurder in Bloemfontein, mnr. Kobus Swart - wat uit Kimberley oorgeplaas is - is ook by die geleentheid bekendgestel.
PERSONE aktief in die sakesektor kan kennis neem van en inskakel by bogenoemde program, wat fokus op die nadelige effekte van stres en die voorkoming van hartaanvalle. 'n Paar eenvoudige toetse word by die werk gedoen en dit duur ongeveer 5 minute per persoon. Die toetse veroorsaak min werksversteuring, is bekostigbaar en strek tot beide die werknemer en werkgewer se voordeel. Ook word PSA-bepalings vir mans bo 45 jaar ter waarskuwing teen kanker en FSH/LH-bepaling vir vroue om beenontkalking en osteoporose teen te werk, ook aangebied.
Die koste beloop R10 per deelnemer vir onderstaande toetse, met die verstandhouding dat alles wat goedkoop is, nie noodwendig minderwaardig is nie. Die toetse sluit in: Stresvlak, bloeddruk, lengte, beenstruktuur, “bodystat” en ideale gewig. Indien afwykings gevind word, word riglyne vir 'n gesonder lewenswyse voorsien. Persone wat belangstel om toetse vir cholesterol en bloedsuiker te laat doen is ook welkom. Dit is veral nodig vir mense wat daagliks aan beroepstres blootgestel word waardeur atterosklerose versnel word. Die rekening is volgens voordeleskaal en kan met vertroue aan mediese fondse voorgelê word. Persone sonder 'n mediese fonds ontvang 40% korting sodat ook hulle kan deelneem. Diegene wat redelik stres ondervind of cholesterol met 'n grenswaarde het - ook die wat suikersiekte (moegheid, dors en poliurie) onderlede mag hê en selfs die wat so nou en dan 'n sigaretjie rook met 'n bloeddruk wat lanklaas gemeet is - kan gerus deelneem.
Individuele sakepersone of personeelgroepe kan (051) 523 3624 of 082 723 7369 of e-pos arend1@shisas.com skakel.
UNDER its new stewardship the Free State Dept. of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs has announced three major opportunities being utilized to market the province's tourism industry.
Firstly, the Department has taken a sizeable stand at this year's Bloem Show to highlight especially eco tourism and the provincial resorts. The exhibition was crowned with a gold award. Secondly, the Department will be participating in the annual Tourism Indaba to be held 11-14 May 2002 in Durban. At this event, Free State regions will also be marketed by SMME's and other product owners individually. SMME's are well-represented this year, with all of them conforming to international standards. At the same time, product owners, regions and SMME's will all be linked together to be selling packages in which the regions overlap not only on regional boundaries, but also provincial and international boundaries. One of the main attractions will be the Maluti Route covering also Lesotho and the Eastern Cape. Thirdly the Department is to participate actively in the World Summit on Sustainable Development 26 August to 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg, with a view to promoting the province not only as a tourism but also as an investment destination. The Free State exhibition is to be at the Ubuntu Village where all the activities will take place outside the conference itself.
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