Pensions Questions

In response from my earlier post on the illegal regime’s raid on our pensions, I have received a communication from one claiming to be Fiji Pensioners.

Going on appearances alone, this seems to be a letter from Mr Rickman regarding his pension. Included in the material is a considerable amount of detail which, if true, should surely be kept confidential.

In my opinion, we can not discount the possibility that this has not been sent to this blog from Mr Rickman. It could easily have been sent from the office of the recipient or another who is party to its contents.

Regardless of whoever has sent this in – it is not the intention of this blog to disclose the private details of individual citizens.

If the sender hopes to have this alleged correspondence published on this blog, it will not happen.

If Mr Rickman wants this published, he is welcome to do so elsewhere.

If another party is trying to have this information published on this blog – you lose!

God bless Fiji

The Pensions, The Pilferers and The P***ed Off

On 11 April, Vijay Narayan posted a story on FijiVillage.com reported questions put forward by former head of Airports Fiji and pillar of the Western community, Mr R Rickman.

Story by: Vijay Narayan  Time: 13:11 – 11/04/2013

Decrees like the ones in relation to the Fiji National Provident Fund reform cannot be legally challenged according to the draft constitution however the decrees can be amended or removed altogether by the next parliament.

Questions were raised by FNPF pensioner, Rick Rickman in the draft constitution consultation session in Lautoka on why the FNPF decree cannot be challenged.

Rickman said he and other pensioners entered into a contract and their pension has been cut under the reform.

Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said while the decrees can be reviewed or changed by the next parliament, people should understand that the FNPF reforms were necessary.

Within hours, a new, more beefed up version of the story replaced it. This time it included specific details about Rickman’s own pension – details which in any other society would remain confidential – and ready-made quotes from senior FNPF staff and of course a quote from the illegal AG.

Decrees cannot be legally challenged according to the draft constitution

Publish date/time: 11/04/2013 [16:59]

Decrees like the ones in relation to the Fiji National Provident Fund reform cannot be legally challenged according to the draft constitution however the decrees can be amended or removed altogether by the next parliament.

Questions were raised by FNPF pensioner Rick Rickman in the draft constitution consultation session in Lautoka on why the FNPF decree cannot be challenged.

Rickman said he and other pensioners entered into a contract and their pension has been cut under the reform.

Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said while the decrees can be reviewed or changed by the next parliament, people should understand that the FNPF reforms were necessary.

Sayed-Khaiyum said FNPF is not in existence to only pay pensions for the current pensioners but it is a long term fund.

Meanwhile, FNPF’s Assistant General Manager Prime Services said in Rickman’s case, this was Rickman’s personal choice after he withdrew a major portion of his refundable or initial pension amount that was allowed for all existing pensioners during the pension reform period when the pensioners were told to make their choice.

At that time, the FNPF pensioners had to decide on whether they wanted to take their initial pension amount out as lump sum or go on the pension based on the amount they decide to leave on pension.

How FNPF’s (mis)management team reached the thoroughly unprofessional decision to disclose such details is anyone’s guess but it does NOT make the regime look particularly trustworthy that a dissenter’s private details are so flippantly thrown out into cyberspace.

We The People deserve to know how the regime will repay the $2.9billion hole it has stolen from our hard-earned pensions.

We The People must not let the illegal regime get away with this. Tabu soro.

God bless Fiji