Tens Of Billions Of Dinars From Workers’ Social Services Funds Disappear!

The Secretary-General of the National Federation of Post and Telecommunications Workers revealed that security investigations showed the disappearance of balances estimated at tens of billions of centimes from the social services funds of sector workers, during the previous national mutual insurance fund’s management of those financial amounts, involving 12 suspects from various levels of responsibility within the mutual insurance fund.

Mohamed Bourouba explained to “Echorouk” that the National Union of “Algeria Telecom,” affiliated with the trade union central, filed a complaint to recover social services funds that were managed by the national mutual insurance fund for sector workers between 2003 and 2015, noting that when the mutual insurance fund officials were on the social services committee of “Algeria Telecom,” they demanded the return of funds from the mutual insurance fund, but after they became responsible for it, they fell into the same mistakes, and the funds were disbursed by the mutual insurance fund.

According to Bourouba, the head of the social services committee of “Algeria Telecom” repeatedly corresponded with the officials of the national mutual insurance fund regarding the recovery of the funds it was responsible for managing, but there was no response, while the postal sector recovered about 8 billion dinars in funds in a first installment, which prompted the federation to file a complaint with the security services.

According to the latter, the security investigations by the National Gendarmerie, which lasted several months after the complaint was filed, revealed the disappearance of tens of billions of dinars from the social services funds of sector workers, explaining that the number of those involved who were prosecuted in the case is estimated at 12 people from various positions of responsibility at the national mutual insurance fund for sector workers, in addition to a number of witnesses.

The suspects were prosecuted, according to the same source, on charges of “breach of trust,” “abuse of power,” and “embezzlement of public funds,” given that social services funds are administrative funds, while mutual insurance funds are funds of the members of this entity.

The Secretary-General of the Federation explains that the Ministry of Labor suspended the activity of the mutual insurance fund for a period, and among the main reasons for this freeze was the issue of managing social services funds and the suspicions and errors that marred its management process.

According to him, after a period of suspension, the mutual insurance fund was recently revived through elections held across all provinces, resulting in a national council of 65 members, which paves the way for the selection of a board of directors and a new president for this entity, which will once again enable more than 90,000 people, including workers and retirees, to access health services and social benefits with coverage of up to 50% of costs, including surgical operations, “scanner” costs, and death, marriage, and circumcision grants, among others.