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Masline Mavudzi Herald Correspondent
Pensioners and policy-holders who feel they were cheated by pension schemes and insurance firms in the conversion rates used to migrate to a dollarised economy are invited to present their cases before a Commission of Inquiry into the Conversion of Insurance and Pensions Values.

The Commission, which was appointed by President Mugabe in August, begins holding countrywide public hearings tomorrow, starting in Harare. In a statement yesterday, Commission chairperson Retired Justice George Smith said the objective of the public hearings was to receive information on challenges faced by pensioners and policy-holders regarding the conversion process from the Zimbabwe dollar era to the multi-currency regime.

“The Commission will use all the evidence gathered from current and former insurance and pension subscribers to examine the appropriateness of United States dollars benefit, value entitlement,” he said.

He invited workers’ committees, trade unions, pensioner groups and other consumer groups to make presentations on problems being faced by their members with respect to the conversion of insurance and pension values.

“Individual policy-holders and pensioners are expected to submit copies of their policy and other documents showing the Zimbabwean dollar as well as United States dollar denominated entitlements from their pension fund or insurance policy,” said Rtd Justice Smith.

“Payslips showing pension fund contribution deductions over the years in both Zimbabwe and US dollars, correspondences from and to administrators and sponsoring employees” are required, read the statement.

Contributors should also submit “insurance policy premium payment advices and statements from insurance companies and proof of appeals made to the institution concerned or the regulator as well as responses received.”

Rtd Justice Smith said even those that lost their documents could still give oral evidence. The first meeting is set for tomorrow in Harare at the City Sports Centre, with others scheduled for the Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls (November 9), Bulawayo’s Small City Hall (November 11), Gwanda Hotel (November 13), Gweru City Theatre (November 15), Masvingo Civic Centre Hall (November 23), Moffat Hall in Mutare (November 25), Malwatte Village in Marondera (November 27), Chinhoyi University Hall (December 1) and the last one at Kimberley Hotel in Bindura on December 3. Rtd Justice Smith said people were free to submit their complaints through the Commission’s offices housed at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development at New Government Complex in Harare. The Commission is expected to complete its work within nine months from the time it was appointed.