Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Tuesday updated the National Assembly on progress made in dealing with corruption linked to the COVID-19 relief.
FILE: Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi addresses a media briefing in Pretoria on level 3 lockdown regulations on 29 May 2020. Picture: @GCISMedia/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said that R3.5 billion in wrongful Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Temporary Employment Relief Fund Scheme (TERS) payments has been recovered so far.
Nxesi on Tuesday updated the National Assembly on progress made in dealing with corruption linked to the COVID-19 relief.
The UIF has so far paid out more than R49 billion.
– READ: UIF ‘100% sure’ COVID-19 TERS fraud won’t happen again
Nxesi said that the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was on the case: “The SIU is investigating to identify and charge individuals who benefitted from illegal payments and to recover the money. In some cases, bank accounts have been frozen and assets seized. People have been charged and arrested. R3.5 billion of wrongful payments have been recouped.”
Nxesi said that the UIF was also following the money and tracking every payment made.
– ALSO READ: UIF confident it now has right data to carry out legitimate TERS payments
“Eight audit and forensic audit companies have been appointed nationally to fast-track the process. The National Treasury’s technical advisory centre has been working with the UIF to improve the system’s functionality and to enhance user-friendliness.”
Opposition party members, however, claim they’ve been inundated with complaints about non-payments or long delays.
Nxesi said that all outstanding legitimate claims would be paid.