First six directors elected for national retirement fund board [1]
Friday, April 27, 2012 - 10:50. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
The first six directors of Tonga's first National Retirement Benefits Fund were announced last night following an election yesterday, April 26.
A seventh board member who will have no voting right on the board, will be nominated by the Minister of Finance.
Three candidates elected to represent the Employers were:
- Peseti Ma'afu of the Liku'alofa Resort, 104 votes,
Simione Sefanaia of the Tonga Development Bank, 96 votes,
William Edwards Jr of the Tonga Power Ltd, 88 votes.
Three candidates elected to represent the Employees were:
Rev Dr Tevita Havea, the Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga,1,760 votes,
Mosese Manuofetoa of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga with 1,280 votes
Sitiveni 'Esau of the Tonga Power Ltd, 1,249 votes.
The fund introduces a mandatory superannuation plan for the private sector. By March 30 a total of 151 employers and 3,299 employees had registered, and were allowed to cast their votes in the election for the setting up of the NRBF board.
Registration of candidates for the board closed on April 5, with four candidates competing for the Employers' representation, and seven candidates for the Employees representation. All the candidates were men and no women were nominated.
Yesterday only 114 (out of 151) registered employers, and 2,621 (out of 3299) registered employees cast their votes in the voting held from 9am to 4pm at various registered employers' offices.
Leimoni Taufu'i, a technical advisor to the NRBF said this morning, that a seventh member of the board to be nominated by the Minister of Finance, would be confirmed on May 1, when all seven new board members would meet for the first time, and be appointed to their new roles by the Minister of Finance. The Board would also elect a chairman on its first day of meeting, he said.