Pension funds not paid

AS the nominated spokesperson of the ex-PNGDF personnel, I write to air our grievances towards the board of our pension fund, Defence Force Retirement Board (DFRB) and Comrade Trustee Services Ltd (CTSL), regarding payments owed to from the pension fund.
The money that we are referring to is surplus that these two entities have earned in profits from investments. We have been promised on numerous occasions that we would be paid a “one-off” payment.
That was to occur in Nov 2018, however, to no avail.
Below is a brief history of our plight.
On Aug 13, 2018, the CTSL board chairman and CEO told a large crowd of pensioners at a gathering at Rita Flynn Courts that the payment would be made in Nov of 2018.
This did not occur. They are now telling pensioners that the board had approved the one-off payment, however, it needs legal clearance, hence the delay.
We are abhorred by this decision, which is above all disrespectful to all of us who have spent all our lives in the military.
Most of us have served under separate commands of the Australian Army, Northern Command 8th Military District from the early 1960s to Independence in 1975; and PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) from 1975–2000.
With regard to our pensions, before the enactment of the DFRBF Act 1974 (the Act), we were contributing to the Australian Army Pension Scheme in Canberra, ACT, Australia.
All our personal records were held in the Central Army Records Office (CARO) in Canberra.
Upon Independence all those responsibilities were then transferred from CARO to PNGDF headquarters at Murray Barracks, Port Moresby.
We had served these two commands faithfully with pride, commitment, integrity, and sacrifice with high moral fiber.
These were the best soldiers that the Australian Army trained.
It is very said, disheartening and inhumane for DFRB board and CTSL management to treat us with contempt and deceit by delaying this payment from the surplus fund for over six months.
These payments are rightfully our entitlements.
Remember that many Papua New Guineans alive today did not see what we saw during our border patrols in the 1950s, especially at the chief’s fireplace.
Even after Independence, we were still conducting border patrols and also took part in two major operations – Vanuatu and Bougainville.
Unfortunately, a few of our colleagues have passed on awaiting this payment. One of them was comrade and No 1 Soldier (RSM), late 83392 Chief Officer Charles Liheror Nuembui.
He enlisted with the Australian Army in June 1966 and sadly passed away on Feb 1, 2019.
The act is a law that is applicable and is enforceable within the jurisdiction of PNG.
Section 24 subsection 2© allows for such a payment to be made.
Why is it taking so long for the CTSL board and CEO in seeking legal clearance?
It has been over seven months and still the same excuses.
It is clear in our view that the act does in fact provide for one-off payment.
In April 2014, there was one-off disbursement exercise conducted by CTSL.
In the year, we did not have any issues similar to what we are currently facing in accessing our payments.
We were promised a one-off payment by the board and there were never any excuses such as payment is pending legal clearance.
The board and the management did not seek legal clearance to distribute the 2014 one-off payment that ranged between K3000 to K5000 which we have proof of.
Hence why is it such an issue now to make this payment if the act has not been amended in any way?
These are our grievances, which we make public to expose the ill treatment of our pension fund and seek some support to have these issues resolved.

Ignatius Lai, OBE
Wing Commander (Retired)
Pensioners’ spokesperson