Smallholder farmers, people working in the booming horticulture farms on the slopes of Mount Meru and artisanal miners no longer have to travel far to access services offered by National Social Security Fund (NSSF) following the fund’s initiative to spread its wings close to the people. NSSF Director General Dr Ramadhani Dau said this is in line with the fund’s commitment of reaching its members right to the grassroots level. He was launching its new branch at the Usa Plaza building in Leganga Ward at Usa-River. “This is going to be our third branch in Arusha Region after the one at the city center and a second in Karatu District.” To date NSSF has established branches in 11 districts countrywide in addition to 27 regional offices. He added: “We have realised that Arumeru, being a popular district with large farming estates and other economic activities located far apart from each other and even farther from Arusha, a new branch in the precinct was vital,” Dau said. Crescentius Magori NSSF Director of Operations revealed that the new branch in Arumeru District has registered 250 employers, 7,000 members and is recording a monthly revenue of Sh432 million, which translates into over Sh5 billion per annum. Janeth Nyoni is among first individual contributing members of the Arumeru branch of NSSF. A farmer and small scale livestock keeper, she was praised for her monthly contribution of Sh400,000, the highest remitter to the scheme in the district. With over half-a-million membership base, plus the fund’s total value reported to to be Sh1.3 trillion, NSSF is currently the country’s largest pension scheme. NSSF earnings are estimated to be Sh120 billon while contributions from members nationwide stand at 500 billion per year. The fund spends less than 15 per cent of the total income but invests more than 75 per cent. Countrywide it has 50,000 working staff.