Question NW836 to the Minister of Public Service and Administration
15 April 2024 - NW836
Clarke, Ms M to ask the Minister of Public Service and Administration
(1) Whether it is mandatory for all public servants to be members of a (a) medical aid scheme and (b) hospital plan; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case. (2) Whether it is mandatory for all public servants to be members of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS); if not, what (a) total number of public servants are members of GEMS and (b) percentage of the total number of public servants does the number constitute?
Reply:
1. It is not mandatory for public servants to be members of (a) a medical scheme, however, employees who are on salary level 1 to 5 receive 100% medical subsidy if they join GEMS on the Tanzanite One Benefit Option. Employees on salary level 6 to 10 who join GEMS receive 75% medical subsidy and can join any benefit option of their choice. Employees from salary levels 11 upwards structure their salaries and are not compelled to be members of any medical scheme as they do not receive medical subsidy. The police service has its own medical scheme, called POLMED.
2. It is not mandatory for public servants to be members of Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS). The total number of public servants who are Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) members is (a) 688 052 and (b) this number constitutes 55.6 % of the total number of public servants. The number of police service members on POLMED is 146 855 and this constitutes 80% of the police service. State Security Agency (SSA) and Defence are excluded in these numbers.
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