The GEP Law makes it clear that all government departments whose conditions of service fall under the Public Service Act automatically participate in the GEPF. These employers are all the national and provincial government departments, as well as the offices of the premiers. For the sake of clarity, these employers are listed in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act.
Other institutions listed in the GEP Law as participating employers are the Public Service Commission, the Auditor-General, the Office of the Auditor-General and any Provincial Service Commission established in terms of Section 213 of the Constitution.
In addition, the GEP Law gives the GEPF Board of Trustees the authority to accept any other government institution or body as a participating employer. With this in mind, the Board has a specific policy called the ‘Admission of new participating employers to the GEPF’.
This admission policy sets out the criteria an employer must meet to be admitted as a participating employer. For example, every employer applying to participate must provide documentation showing that the organisation concerned is linked or related to the government. There are also various other criteria, such as an undertaking to abide by the GEP Law and the rules of the Fund, and to compensate the GEPF for any additional financial obligation placed on the Fund.
The policy also spells out the application process that employers must follow to be admitted. Briefly, this process entails completing a participating employer application form and a participating employer checklist form and submitting these, along with supporting documents, to the Chairperson of the Benefits and Administration Committee of the GEPF Board of Trustees.