Emirati pension requirements under NAFIS programme spelt out for UAE private sector employers

Abu Dhabi: As part of the governmental federal programme, NAFIS, all entities in the private sector are required to register their Emirati employees with the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) within 30 days from their employment date. Likewise, it is an employee’s responsibility to ensure that registration has been complete within one month from their joining date.

The above statement was issued by the GPSSA as a result of the government’s effort to increase competitiveness and sustainability of UAE nationals by empowering them to occupy jobs in the UAE’s private sector over the next five years. The programme, known as NAFIS, was launched as part of the ‘Projects of the 50’ which aims to accelerate the development journey of the UAE.

Choices and benefits

Through NAFIS, Emiratis employed in the private sector are offered choices and benefits, some of which include an Emirati Salary Support Scheme; a Pension Programme; Child Allowance Scheme; Talent Programme; Apprentice Programme; Recruitment Targets; National Healthcare Programme; Unemployment Benefit; Vocational Counselling Programme; Job Offers and On-the-job Training Programme.

Amongst the programme conditions, private companies with at least 50 employees must meet their two per cent Emiratisation target before January 2023; accordingly, all private sector entities across the UAE, with exception to Abu Dhabi, must pay their pension contributions at the beginning of every month, with a maximum grace period permitted till the middle of each month.

After registering with the GPSSA, insured individuals are obligated to pay their share in contributions for five per cent from the Contribution Calculation Salary which the employer deducts from the employee’s salary and transfers the same to the GPSSA on monthly basis; in addition to paying 12.5 per cent of Contribution Calculation Salary, while the government pays 2.5 per cent as a means of encouragement and support.

The Contribution Calculation Salary includes the basic salary, gratuities and allowances (to be paid regularly and monthly) as per employment contract and is the basis of contribution paymentswithin one complete year. If the insured joins his/her work after the month of January, the Contribution Calculation Salary of thatmonth serves as the basis of contribution payments until next January.

How to register

In order to register an Emirati with the GPSSA and have him/her start contributing on monthly basis and become insured, certain registration requirements must be fulfilled. This includes requireddocuments submitted (Passport Copy - Emirates ID Copy - Family Book ID Copy - Birth Certificate Copy or Age Estimation Document - three filled copies of ‘service start form’ of the insured (service start form no. 1); appointment letter; original copy of employment contract attested by the Ministry of Laborand photocopy of medical examination upon appointment. Additionally, the contributors age should not be less than 18 and not exceed 60, and should be fit to work upon registration.

Once an employee’s registration procedures are complete by his/her entity and all the above documents are verified, an insurance number is issued by the GPSSA.

As evident in GPSSA’s statistics for October 2022 where the number of contributors working in the private sector registered with the GPSSA increased to 21,868 across 7,874 private sector entities, employers in the private sector play a pivotal role in the insurance work scheme at GPSSA’s level.