FNPF Hosts Pacific Desk Office For International Social Security Association.

The Fiji National Provident Fund now hosts the Pacific desk for the International Social Security Association (ISSA).

Following the successful signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the two parties last month in Panama, Central America.

The MOA means the region’s various provident funds and social security institutions can fully benefit from ISSA’s broad knowledge, practical services and relevant platforms in their efforts to improve their schemes, administration and financial management.

From left: the Head of the Office of the Secretary General of ISSA Mr Jens Schremmer, FNPF’s Chief Operating Officer Mr Jaoji Koroi, and Secretary General of ISSA Mr Hans-Horst Konkolewsky and at the signing of the MOA.

The priorities of the Pacific focal desk include conducting a technical seminar or workshop for heads of provident funds and other social security institutions; presenting the Association Guidelines and Centre for Excellence to enable a regional dialogue on a priority topic of interest to the administrators; develop a Work Plan for the focal desk to implement various activities including training workshops and technical seminars; and establish an effective information exchange medium to inform and update institutions in the region on the Association’s activities.

FNPF’s Chief Operating Officer Mr Jaoji Koroi said the Fund would use this opportunity to relook and strengthen the Fund’s social security role in a challenging social climate with rising poverty, ageing population and inadequate health protection.

The MOA covers the 16 member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum including Australia and New Zealand.