It is a costly and time consuming exercise when Nasfund members try to access their funds.
And with the fear surrounding COVID-19, a commotion recently arose outside the Lae Nasfund office when members were told to “come back next week”.
Levi Geseng is from Salamaua in Morobe Province. He currently lives at Bulolo where it costs him K40 to travel to and from Lae city.
He has been lining up to sort out his queries since October 2020.
“Wari blo mi olsem mi slip longwe na mi go kam lo Nasfund,” he said. (My concern is, I live far away and I commute to Nasfund.)
“Westim mani lo kam daun, i go antap, go antap na kam daun. (Wasting money to continuously travel up and down.)
Geseng pointed out that while there is a mobile app, most of them do not know how to use it or do not have access to the internet.
“Planti man save lo yusim mobile system, planti man nogat save lo yusim mobile sytem. So taim mipla go kam insait lo hia, ol darektim mipla tok go olsem, go olsem, go olsem, mipla pilim hat turu.” (Most people know how to use it while others do not. So when we come here, they direct us to go here, there, everywhere. It is frustrating.)
Amex Moses from Menyamya shared similar sentiments, adding it costs him K150 to come to Lae. He wakes up at dawn to get a PMV, then stands in line from 8am to 3pm, where he makes the 4 to 5-hour journey home.
“Samting blo mi yet na ol wok lo dileim na givim kain kain excuse insait lo hap,” Moses stressed. “Olgeta samting mi kisim lo kampani na kam, em mi kam tromoi pinis.” (It is my property but they keep delaying and giving all sorts of excuses. Every document required from my company has already been submitted.)
Nancy Terry is a widow who is hoping to obtain her funds quickly to settle outstanding school fees. She has been pursuing her issue for three months now.
“Pikini blo mi aste em tokim mi olsem, ol bai rausim em lo skul fi na mi wari,” Terry shared. (My child told me that they will remove her from school because of school fee issues and I’m worried.)
“Na nau taim, brata blo mi stap, ol lain blo man blo mi stap na man blo mi dai so nogat sapot bai mi kisim.” (Currently my brother is here, my in-laws are here while my husband has passed hence I won’t be getting any support.)
Nasfund staff, on the other hand, highlighted that communication is a real challenge considering most of their clients are from rural areas or are industrial workers and labourers.
Momase regional team leader, Geita Goasa, outlined the complications involved in explaining documents like a statutory declaration form or a letter of confirmation in Tok Pisin. The best method they employ is requesting for members to return with an educated relative, who will sit in the meeting then translate the instructions for them.
“However, we still have challenges with getting the message across,” she stated.
Goasa further said they have analysed which organisations or companies the members with most queries come from, adding they will soon facilitate shop floor presentations for them and other interested firms.
“If it means for us to walk into their farms out of town, by all means we’ve got to do it to avoid such. We can go and explain, with the help of employer representatives on the ground, and maybe the HR (human resource) officers and training and development department representatives can also continue to educate upon induction and upon exit.”
(Members sitting in their lines outside the Lae Nasfund office)