Dr Tanga Odoi, the chairman of the Makerere University Academic Staff (MUASA), says they are still expecting 11.9 billion shillings from National Insurance Corporation (NIC) as the final payment for a pension scheme the insurer ran on their behalf.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network today, Odoi, who bases his claim on a draft report by audit firm Pricewatershousecoopers, says they want to speed up the process so that they are paid soon.
Makerere Universityand NIC have been feuding over how much the insurer should pay the university after the university backed off the pension’s scheme.
In 2008, when the feuding started, the university claimed it had 16 billion shillings but NIC insisted the money was much less.
The university staff went on strike several times over the matter until President Yoweri Museveni eventually intervened.
The government and NIC paid Makerere University 10 billion shillings late last year, but the university staff insists NIC has to pay more money.
The Auditor General appointed Pricewatershousecoopers to audit NIC and come out with a clear report on the disputed amount.
A draft audit report, a copy of which Uganda Radio network has seen, suggests that NIC owes Makerere University 11.9 billion shillings. Initially Odoi was quoted as saying the balance was six billion shillings.
Odoi says since the right figure is now coming up, it is now up to the government and NIC to pay up the balance. He says MUASA is meeting on April 29 to discuss the matter and come with the way forward.
Stephen Kateregga, the Director of Audit in charge of Central Government in the Office of the Auditor General, says the figure in the draft report should at best be considered as work-in-progress and not the final report.
Kateregga says NIC still has to respond to the draft report and based on the strength of their arguments and disclosures the figure could change, adding that it could even come much down or higher.
He explianed that it is better to wait for the final report which is expected in two weeks’ time when it will be made public anyway.
After the payment of the 10 billion shillings, NIC's managing director Sam Njoroge promised that the company will continue to cooperate in order to settle Makerere’s claim amicably and satisfactorily.
NIC is the biggest insurer in Uganda and handles some of the biggest clients in the insurance industry.
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