Govt Sets Up Taskforce to Review Workers’ Compensation System

What the report says

The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development has set up a taskforce to review Uganda’s workers’ compensation system and prepare reform proposals, according to Nile Post. Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Simon Mulongo commissioned the committee at the ministry headquarters, saying the current framework can leave injured workers and their families facing delays and uncertainty when claims are handled.

The review will look at options for a more dependable compensation structure, including the possible creation of a National Workers’ Compensation Fund. The article says the committee will examine financing, benefit design, governance and draft legal changes. It will also assess concerns raised in the existing system, including delayed claims, employer insolvency and uneven enforcement.

The taskforce brings together officials and technical experts from the ministries of Finance, Health, Public Service and Local Government, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the National Planning Authority and the Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority, along with workers’ representatives. Mulongo said reforms should ensure that the risks of employment are not shifted unfairly to injured workers, while also supporting workplace safety.

The story also notes that Uganda is bound by International Labour Organization standards on compensation in cases of injury or death. Mulongo pointed to other African countries, including Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia, as possible reference points, while cautioning that Uganda should develop a system suited to local conditions. The committee is expected to submit evidence-based recommendations for Cabinet consideration.