UIF to marshal officials behind service delivery improvement plans at upcoming workshop
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will host a service delivery improvement workshop in September month to marshal its officials behind concomitant plans to better service clients across the country.
This was the commitment made by UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping yesterday in Upington at the end of an inspection undertaken by governance structures including the UIF Board and members of the Fund’s Audit, Risk and Fraud Committees to a local UIF service point.
Following inspections to UIF service points and client engagements that were undertaken around the country, the governance structures are now drafting a consolidated report with findings that will serve as a discussion document.
At the planned workshop UIF officials from all provinces together with management and the governance structures will develop remedial actions with lasting solutions to findings for implementation over the short to medium term.
“The issues found during inspections and client engagements will form part of a consolidated report that will assist us in eliminating operational inefficiencies,” said Commissioner Maruping.
According to Maruping the UIF’s governance structures have as part of the service delivery improvement initiative looked into every aspect of the Fund including its investments and implemented Labour Activation Programmes.
“We are not just concentrating on service points for improvement, but looking at how to holistically better the UIF for the future,” advised Commissioner Maruping.
On inspections that were undertaken Maruping said: “We wanted the Board and all other governance structures of the Fund to get a feel of what South Africans experience daily at the coalface of service delivery, so that their guidance for improvement can be informed by realities on the ground.”
Maruping said further that the Fund has already taken a variety of steps to eliminate long queues at service points, such as to implement a free USSD platform, and a data free UIF Mobile Application which can be used to access UIF services from anywhere.
“Additional to implementing new service platforms such as the USSD and Mobile App we have installed free Wi-Fi at all labour centres and embarked on strategic partnerships with ABSA and Capitec Bank to enable clients to obtain completed and stamped UIF 2.8 (bank forms) at ATMs instead of travelling all the way to banks,” concluded Maruping.
Media enquiries:
Trevor Hattingh
Director: Communication and Marketing
Cell: 067 410 4099 or Media.UIF@labour.gov.za
