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Fri, 10 Feb 2012
SUVA, Fiji (FIJI LIVE) ---- Sixty percent pensioners in the country have been counselled and validated, says the Fiji National Provident Fund.
As per the new Transition Decree which was validated last year, the Fund’s chief executive Aisake Taito says that validation before 29 February is extremely important as this is stipulated under the FNPF Transitional Decree.
“The FNPF Transitional Decree provides for the changeover from the current Act to the new scheme,” he said.
Pensioners have to undergo validation, counselling and to choose a pension product being offered under the new scheme.
“Validation is compulsory for all pensioners if they are to access any pension options including lump sum payment.”
Overseas pensioners continue to be validated at the Fiji diplomatic missions abroad and about 100 have undergone virtual validation.
According to FNPF, pensioners who have not validated by the stated time-line will not be able to transit into the new pension scheme, thus they would not be entitled to a pension option and receive any pension payments from March onwards.
Taito added that all current pensioners will get their fixed pension payments that their pension payments from March 1, 2012 onwards.
Meanwhile, the Fiji Council of Social Services and the Fiji Pensioners Association have written to the Fiji National Provident Fund seeking an extension of the pension review.
FCOSS / HelpAge Centre Executive Director Mohammed Hassan Khan said the recent floods have affected many pensioners and has made it difficult for them to attend counselling.
“Floods and extremely bad weather conditions have restricted the movements of older persons including the pensioners wishing to reach the FNPF centres to discuss their options as advertised by the FNPF giving the dead line on 29 February,” said Khan.
He said there is rush to get their papers in order before the deadline and many pensioners required to wait in long lines in the various FNPF centres.
“The FNPF staff are doing a wonderful job in providing proper explanation and options and they need time not to compromise the high FNPF standards of service. It would also be a good idea for the FNPF to have JPs on hand to avoid the extra running around by the pensioners who are not aware of the JPs,” said Khan.
He said the rush caused by this is bad for the health of both the FNPF staff and the pensioners, who are not able to wait in long lines due to ill health.
“There many pensioners on wheel chairs you have endure long wait as counseling takes time. There many cases of extreme hardship in relation to making trips to FNPF.”
On the other hand, President of the Fiji Pensioners Association Hari Raj Naicker said if there was no natural disaster, there would be no need for an extension.
“We appreciate the new decree but more time is needed for most pensioners in the western side,” said Naicker.
"Weather cannot be controlled and more time is needed for application of birth certificates and other relevant documents as we are recovering from the disaster."
FNPF chief executive Aisake Taito said any extension to the deadline would mean amendments to the Decree.
“Unless this is done, then the deadline remains,” he quipped.
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