By EDDIE OSIFELO
MEMBERS of Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF) who are entitled under the COVID-19 exemption orders have experienced a smooth process of collecting their funds at Honiara High School.
This was due to the payment process and procedure implemented at the payment location site by SINPF staff.
Island Sun visited the site yesterday and witnessed the payment process where members would check their names at one table, verify their names with another SIPNF staff before joining the queue inside the hall.
In the hall, the SINPF staff sitting in front of the computer sorted out each member before he or she went to another location to get his or her payment.
The Police Response Unit was engaged to guide the payment venues.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SINPF Board Mike Wate said a UNCDF Digital Finance expert Mr. Sanjay.B.Shah was engaged to architect some strategies on how the payment should be delivered effectively and efficiently.
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs).
Governor of Central Bank, Luke Forau last week visited the site to see the payment system utilised by the SINPF staff and was really impressed with it.
Mr Wate said it’s a learning experience as a first of its kind to happen to SINPF Board since its existence in 1976.
Even during the social unrest in 1998-2003 the Minister of Finance or the government then did not provide exemption orders for members to access part of their NPF contribution.
He said such payout to members will go down in SINPF Board 44 years’ history. SINPF will learn from this experience and in the future Fund will have a precedence to lean on when such crisis arises.
More than 1000 members have received their payments so far since the exemption came into force on the 1st of April 2020.
There are members with no mobile numbers and also members who missed their collection dates and times.
These members are requested to contact the Fund on 673 or on our 2 direct lines 25147 or 25149 go to the payment site for their payments for those who received their messages.
The Covid-9 exemption order expires on June, 30th 2020.
