Tony’s stroke of good luck

The National Weekender

By STELLA BITA
TONY Nime (real name withheld) joined the Department of Defence on the 19th of November 1968 as a cook at the Igam Barracks in Lae in Morobe.
In 2006 he was arrested and charged for a crime that resulted in him being sentenced to Buimo Correctional Institute. Buimo became his new home for the next 5 years.
In early 2011 he was released on a good behaviour bond and set free. But when he left prison, he found it difficult to make ends meet, let alone find a job.
The need for financial security forced him to consider returning to his former employer to seek assistance so that he could get his retirement benefits from Nambawan Super Limited (NSL).
So in 2014, after three years of struggling and surviving the harsh conditions of urban life without any means of employment, Tony turned up at the Nambawan Super Office in Lae.
In 2016, NSL Lae staff, in liaison with HR and payroll staff at the Department of Defence, ensured all his papers were signed stamped and all necessary documents attached for submission and processing.
The softly spoken man finally got all his supporting documents and his exit form stamped, signed and submitted for payout on the 8th August 2016.
Two days later, Tony received his payout via his bank account. Tony couldn’t just walk away without turning up at the Lae Nambawan Super office to express his sincere thanks to the staff for their efforts in helping him get his retirement benefits.
“I am very thankful that there are people who care about the welfare of others.
I was in great financial strain and dilemma but my gut feeling propelled me to persevere to seek the assistance I needed.
I can now smile because of a handful of fabulously caring Nambawan Super staff.”
Nambawan Super acting CEO Vere Arava stressed that simple Papua New Guineans who are currently employed but are not fully experiencing a better life should consider look at doing voluntary contributions towards their superannuation savings accounts as an essential investment for a better life during retirement.
Retirement is a time in your life when you are no longer fit to work after reaching the retirement age of 55 years (as per the Superannuation Act 2000).
Nambawan Super has over time emerged as the nation’s leading and largest superannuation Fund, currently managing over 165,000 contributing members’ retirement benefits from both the private and public sectors. The Fund is now worth over K5.8 billion in net asset.
Tony’s story is one that should spur ordinary Papua New Guineans to seriously think about putting some money for a rainy day as there are no guarantees that a long life, or good health, will always be with us.

  • The writer is Senior Publication and Media Officer at NSL.