Mr Aisake Taito
Chief Executive Officer
Fiji National Provident Fund
Private Mail Bag, Suva
Provident Plaza Two
33 Ellery Street, Suva
E: AisakeT@fnpf.com.fj

Dear Mr Aisake Taito, 

Greetings!

As you are well aware there has been a lot of upset, anger, disappointment and outrage about the restructuring of the FNPF and the planned reduction of pensions. I attended the two day symposium at the Holiday Inn some months ago and am well aware of all the discussion and proposals that were put forward. The case for the unsustainability of the Fund was highlighted as well as the proposed reduction in existing pensions to as low as 9%. At that meeting but particularly at a subsequent meeting at the Civic Centre a number of pensioners expressed their anger and outrage at the proposed reductions. Many were of the opinion that such drastic deductions would be in violation of contracts they signed which were legally binding. I understand that about 1200 pensioners are saying that the FNPF’s plans to drastically cut their pensions are unjustified.

If I understand the situation correctly it was first announced that all current pension rates were not sustainable. Later FNPF announced that about 90% of the 11,000 pensions would not face reduction because they were below the $800 a month poverty line. This was much appreciated.

However the remaining 1200 are the ones who are extremely upset and feel that there has been some misunderstanding, miscalculations and consequent injustices. The planned reductions seem to have been targeted at those who receive quite large monthly payments. Yet this section of pensioners is very small – probably totalling less than 50. The rest – the large majority of the 1200 – are middle and working class.

It is this group which feels that great injustice is being done to them especially in view of the fact that the 20% devaluation of the Fiji dollar has meant that the purchasing power of their pension dollar has declined considerably. Moreover rising costs of food, fuel, electricity and water charges plus reflected in the recent high rates of inflation generally has meant greater hardship for many. Moreover this growing hardship has caused deep concern and anxiety – especially for those who have home loans to pay and family commitments to fulfil. This anxiety easily translated into physical symptoms of blood pressure and heart problems.

Information provided by FNPF indicates that the Fund can continue until 2050 or 2055 as it is presently structured before it would face collapse. So why cut pensions 40 or 45 years in advance especially when the pensioners concerned see themselves as a “diminishing liability” due to the fact that their numbers are being reduced as elderly members pass on.

I am sure you have received numerous letters from the pensioners concerned but they have not received any positive assurances from you that their concerns have been taken into serious consideration.

Another matter of concern which I and others raised at the symposium is that people cannot accept that the bad investments of the past can just be written off as “water under the bridge”. We are talking about the people’s money – the savings of thousands of ordinary people. People want to see that those responsible for bad investments are brought to justice and the money misused is returned to the FNPF.

Connected with the above is that the promise made to members that future investments would be carefully scrutinised is not being kept. Recent announcements that huge loans were made to Air Pacific for the purchase of new aircraft, that interest-free loans were being made to Natadola, and that a further loan was being made to a business venture specialising in the manufacturing of pasta and yogurt, all seem to be out of keeping with responsible investments and accountability to members. Surely commercial banks exist for such loans.

Many concerned pensioners feel that great injustice is being done to them. They are disappointed, angry, outraged and deeply upset at the way the situation has been handled. Moreover they feel that their voices have not been heard.

I personally am not affected by the current decisions of the FNPF but I have heard the cries of the people and I feel obliged to add my voice to theirs and request that justice be done.

I beg that you listen to the voices that have been raised in concern and reconsider the current policies being proposed. Large and sudden cuts to the pensions of ordinary people are not the answer in hard economic times. 

Yours sincerely,
(Fr Kevin J. Barr) 

cc.
Ajith Kodagoda – cjpatel@connect.com.fj
Aisake Taito – AisakeT@fnpf.com.fj
Tom Ricketts – tricketts@connect.com.fj
Taito Waqa – twaqa@labour.gov.fj
Tevita Kuruvakadua – tkuruvakadua@nltb.com.fj
Sashi Singh – sashisingh@cdp.com.fj

Dear Ms Smith-Johns 

The following is a copy of an email dated  11 September 2011 that I forwarded to Mr Kodagoda the Chairman of the Fiji National Provident Fund.  I have not had any response to this email.  The contents of the email are self explanatory. 

Since forwarding this email I have seen news items about FNPF, FNPF advertisements, and letters to the editor about the proposed reforms and I have  spoken with the Fiji Times and they advise sometimes the censors let FNPF items through for publication and other times they will not permit them. 

I would be grateful if you could advise if, we the pensioners who are going to be disadvantaged by the proposed reforms, may have our views expressed in the media either through news items or paid advertisements, and if not,  why not. 

Thank you for your assistance. 

Yours sincerely 

RG McDonald
(Pensioner)

There has been no response from MS Smith-Johns
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Lest we Forget ?, How very sad, it seems a great many of us, including people who like to regard themselves as leading citizens of our Nation already have.

There was a time when almost every shop or certainly the leading retailers had a Poppy Appeal box for Remembrance Day, to remember all those who had fallen not only in the first World War but those who have given their lives in conflicts since. The monies raised goes to Armed Forces Charities throughout the world.

Here in Fiji particularly in the West, very few seem to care, included in the list of don’t cares were market leaders, Carpenters, Jacks, Tappoos, Motibhais and of course all the Supermarkets owned by Prasads, Patels etc.

I know this because I went to each of these companies in an attempt to make a donation and collect a small paper Poppy to signify I remembered and I cared.

Finally I went to Nadi International Airport because I thought major outlets there that cream profits from International travelers were bound to have a Poppy Appeal even though they did not personally profit from the exercise. Again disappointment, the staff at the leading store did not even know what Armistice or Remembrance Day was. Lest we Forget, what a joke.. But if their properties or lives were ever endangered, these would be the first people to scream for protection from the military, any military..

Finally I found a donation point at Airports Fiji Ltd Information Desk, their management which includes a Singaporean Chinese are to be congratulated, and I was later advised that Dulux offices had an appeal box, but sadly these are outnumbered by the greedy, self centered, self serving who simply no longer care, if they ever did..
RTR 

LEST WE FORGET

Dear Mr Kodagoda and associates 

Further to my earlier emails to which I have not received a reply, you may have seen media reports that I will be retiring on 31 March 2012 and so from that date I will be very dependant on my pension for income.  I will be a pensioner in the full sense of the word.

With no thanks to you gentlemen after some forty years of contributing and looking forward to retirement, it now seems  from your contradictory press reports that if the reforms go through, I will receive less than half of my existing pension to fund my retirement.  This sadly will cause considerable adjustment in the life style of my wife and I.

Whilst I only know two of you gentlemen personally I was just wondering what your broader list of friends and relatives who are existing pensioners must be thinking of you when they see it is you who are responsible for them receiving a lower pension, that will directly cause them hardship and grief as they struggle to survive on their reduced pension income.

I can  understand the difficult position you are placed in as you will know deep down that the suggested reforms are wrong.  The sensible way through and of course the honourable thing  for you all to do is to resign your positions.  This way you will clear your conscience and salvage your friendships and restore respect with relatives and the broader community.

I urge you to resign now. It is the honourable thing to do.

Yours sincerely,
RG McDonald