The days of employers neglecting, delaying or intentionally avoiding their statutory obligations to workers are coming to an end, as Eswatini National Provident Fund (ENPF) formalised a landmark partnership with the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS).
This follows the coming into effect of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two institutions, aimed at strengthening compliance and closing persistent gaps that have enabled some employers to evade their legal obligations.
The signing ceremony took place at the ERS headquarters boardroom in Ezulwini yesterday.
Through this collaboration, ENPF and ERS are expected to significantly narrow the compliance gap, improve revenue collection and ensure that all employers, regardless of size, adhere to statutory requirements, ultimately safeguarding workers and reinforcing the integrity of the country’s economic framework.
Speaking at the ceremony, ENPF CEO Futhi Tembe described the agreement as a decisive moment for both organisations, emphasising that it was not merely procedural, but a firm declaration of a shared resolve to address employer non-compliance.
She stated that the ENPF exists to safeguard the future of the nation’s workforce, stressing that every contribution deducted from an employee’s salary was neither a favour nor optional, but a legal obligation and a commitment to workers who sustain businesses and drive economic growth.
Tembe noted with concern that some employers had continued to disregard this responsibility.
She highlighted that certain employers withheld contributions without remitting them, under-declared their workforce, or failed to register employees altogether, a conduct she described as not only unethical but unlawful and unjust to workers.
With the ERS now a formal partner, she said, a clear line had been drawn.
Tembe explained that the data-sharing framework to be implemented under the MoU would enable swift and precise detection of non-compliance.
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Employers who had relied on fragmented systems, manual processes or loopholes to avoid accountability should regard the development as a warning that operating in the shadows would no longer be possible.
She stressed that authorities would be able to detect instances where employee contributions were deducted but not remitted, where workforces were under-declared, or where employers had avoided registration entirely. Once identified, she said, action would follow — firm, fair and consistent.
At the same time, Tembe acknowledged compliant employers, stating that their adherence to the law would be reinforced by the agreement.
She noted that their efforts should not be undermined by competitors who violate regulations, adding that compliance should never place businesses at a disadvantage. The MoU, she said, would help restore fairness across the system.
Addressing non-compliant employers, Tembe urged them to regularise their affairs and honour their obligations, warning that the opportunity to evade detection was rapidly diminishing.
She further placed workers at the centre of the partnership, affirming that their future and the protection of their contributions remained paramount.
She stated that both institutions were committed to ensuring that every employer met their responsibilities.
Tembe also commended the commissioner general and ERS team, noting that the collaboration reflected a shared belief that compliance underpins a healthy, fair and transparent economy.
She said the signing of the MoU marked the strengthening of the country’s social protection system and enhanced accountability, signalling the end of what she described as an era of lax enforcement.
