Following the merger with Eyesizwe Proprietary Limited in November 2006 and the successful creation of Exxaro, the retirement healthcare benefit which was provided to a group of continuation and in-service members on the Witbank Coal Medical Aid Scheme was honoured. During 2017, Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga Proprietary Limited withdrew from the Witbank Coal Medical Aid Scheme and the members were moved to the Discovery Health Medical Scheme and Bonitas Medical Aid Scheme. This benefit, which is no longer offered, applied to certain employees previously employed by Eyesizwe Proprietary Limited or Ingwe Coal and comprises a subsidy of contributions.
Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga Proprietary Limited's contribution to the retirement healthcare benefit of employees for the year ended 31 December 2023 amounts to R9.4 million (2022: R8 million).
The obligation represents a present value amount, which is actuarially valued every two years. Any remeasurements are recognised in OCI.
The movement in the net defined benefit medical obligation over the year is summarised as follows:
| Group | |||
| At 31 December | Note | 2023 Rm |
2022 Rm |
| At beginning of the year | 165 | 159 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charge to operating expenses | 6.1.3 | 11 | 9 |
| – Current and past service costs | 2 | (1) | |
| – Interest expense | 20 | 20 | |
| – Expected employer benefit payments | (11) | (10) | |
| Remeasurements1 | (3) | ||
| At end of the year | 176 | 165 | |
| 1 Tax on remeasurements amounts to nil (2022: nil). | |||
| The defined benefit medical obligation is composed by country as follows: | |||
| – RSA | 176 | 165 | |
| Present value of unfunded obligations | 176 | 165 | |
| The actuarial assumptions were as follows: | |||
| Discount rate (%) | 12.8 | 12.8 | |
| Healthcare cost inflation (%) | 8.8 | 8.8 | |
| Expected retirement age (years) | 60 | 60 | |
IR