Question NW286 to the Minister of Employment and Labour
06 September 2024 - NW286
Wana, Ms T to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
What total number of (a) companies (i) registered with the Compensation Fund in terms of section 80 of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, Act 130 of 1993 (COIDA) and (ii) submitted Return of Earnings in terms of section 82 of COIDA and (b) employers who meet the requirements of submission of return of earnings were (i) levied penalties for not doing so and (ii) referred to the Inspection and Enforcement Branch in the (aa) 2022-23 and (bb) 2023-24 financial years?
Reply:
- The number of registered employers for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 assessment years is 906 987 and 972 399 respectively. These figures include duplicate registrations, employers that do not exist and have not deregistered with the Fund. The Fund is in the process of updating the database.
- The number of Returns received for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 represents 327 701 and 352 931 respectively of which the Fund has levied penalties for late submission of Returns on 193 473 and 121 848 of such employers.
- The application of penalties for the non-submission of Returns for each year undergoes a process of verification of existence of such employers; i.e. confirmation of whether those employers who are not submitting Returns are still in business before penalties can be levied against them. This process is followed in terms of section 83 (6) (a) and (b) of the Act which warrants that the earnings of employers who fail to submit Returns will be estimated by the Fund and a penalty will be applied.
- The number of employers referred to the inspection and enforcement branch is 6959 and 16 608 for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 years respectively.