The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) today presented a cheque of just over K300,000 in super contributions for the PNG Fisheries Observers to the Nambawan Super Limited (NSL) during a small gathering in Port Moresby.
NFA’s Acting Managing Director, Leban Gisawa, when presenting the cheque, said: “The 240 Fisheries Observers and their families will benefit from the super contributions to the NSL Choice Super Account after they retire or leave their jobs. The observers have savings for life after their tenure.”
“It was through a consultant review in 2022 that paved the way forward with this new approach for all fisheries observers to commence contributing a six-percent (6%) mandatory contribution from all their sea trips, including shore-based allowance, into their NSL Choice Super Account,” said Mr. Gisawa. “NFA has come to realize that promoting a savings culture among contracted fisheries observers is crucial.”
Mr. Gisawa thanked the dedicated observers and emphasized, “The observers’ commitment and hard work are vital because the data collected by an observer is central to most of the core functions of the NFA in fishery management, enforcement, and research.”
“The fisheries observer deployment at sea involves observation, surveillance and data collection from purse-seine tuna vessels with a coverage of five-percent (5%) on longline fleets. The observers are also placed in other fishery areas such as beche de mer and mud crab.”
Meanwhile, NSL Chief Executive Officer Paul Sayer thanked the NFA, stating, “NSL’s Choice Super is a voluntary product introduced in 2014 for Papua New Guineans who are not contributing to compulsory super under PNG’s current laws.”
Mr. Sayer added: “The 240 Fisheries Observers are Choice Super Members who enjoy services and benefits that are similar to compulsory Nambawan Super Members, including access to Nambawan Retirement Savings Account (RSA), over 150 discount partners nationwide, informative seminars, free Financial Literacy Training, and access to Nambawan Savings and Loan Society."
The PNG Fisheries Observer Program is one of the four sub-unit under Monitoring, Compliance, and Surveillance (Compliance and Enforcement, Surveillance, VMS/FIMS, Observer Program) Unit of the National Fisheries Authority.
