2024 Audit Reveals Shocking Rs187 Million Pension Overpayment in Mauritius

As a nation committed to welfare, Mauritius aims to support its vulnerable populations through a system of universal pensions and various social benefits. These essential aids are administered by the Ministry of Social Integration, Social Security, and National Solidarity. However, a concerning recent audit report has unveiled several serious irregularities within this framework.

By 30 June 2024, the report revealed an astonishing overpayment of Rs 187 million in pensions, representing a 40% increase from the Rs 134 million overpaid on the same date the previous year.

This dramatic escalation can be largely attributed to pension recipients who have been living abroad for more than six months, thus disqualifying them from receiving benefits in accordance with the law.

In total, Rs 112 million has been mistakenly dispensed to 622 individuals as of the end of June 2024.

The report delineates several alarming factors contributing to these issues:

• Some pension recipients possess dual passports, each displaying different names.
• Discrepancies exist between the national identity card numbers listed in the Social Security Division’s database and those recorded on the Info Highway platform.
• Disturbingly, some beneficiaries have passed away overseas, with their deaths remaining unreported.

Additionally, during the financial year 2023-2024, the Social Security Division allocated a substantial sum of Rs 51.7 billion for various pension schemes, covering retirement, widowed, orphaned, and disability pensions, benefitting around 300,000 individuals.

The audit has also uncovered further irregularities within the National Empowerment Foundation (NEF), an organisation operating under the Ministry of Social Integration and National Solidarity.

This revelation calls into question the adequacy of oversight and management within the social welfare programs.

Source: Defi Media