SPF launches new e-services to largest employers |17 December 2019

Mrs Nair addressing delegates at the launch of the workshop yesterday (Photos: Joena Meme)

Human resource officers and payroll officers from the 50 largest employers on Mahé yesterday attended a half-day workshop organised by the Seychelles Pension Fund (SPF) to introduce to them the new online payment platform and web-platform for individual members of the SPF, as the organisation makes the transition towards digital technologies.

The officers were briefed about two new services on offer by SPF to ease contribution transactions between SPF and its members, including its new online payment platforms for employers who will enable the collection of mandatory contributions from employers as well as voluntary contributions from members.

In her welcoming address, SPF chief executive

Lekha Nair noted the SPF’s launch of the first of e-services with many more to come in the coming years.

“After all, the rapid pace of advancement in information technology and communication networking has offered a wide range of delivery channels to financial institutions like ours. We need to exploit these opportunities that arise through these developments and changes to remain abreast of modern methodologies and international best practices as they are transforming the financial industry, in a manner that will bring significant gains to businesses and consumers,” said Mrs Nair.

“Increasingly, our consumers are also demanding more efficient services and are becoming more discerning of the power that technology brings. Today, you will see how SPF has entered the online payment landscape, once thought to be the domain of the banks. We are hoping to bring more in the future with web-enabling pension services, to provide the complete financial services required by consumers and businesses for pensions,” Mrs Nair stated.

The stakeholders were then introduced to the e-services by officials of the SPF who demonstrated how they work and the benefits that they afford both SPF and consumers.

Guiding the employers through the services, chief information technology officer of SPF Steven Rosalie added that the new services will serve to ensure that all individual members are more concerned about their pension contributions.

“For the time being we have launched two services, one for online payments for employers and another one for individual members, an online portal where they can verify their information and pension account. The reason behind these two services are to streamline some of the information that is collected from employers so we introduced collection by XML file where an employer can submit their payrolls online through an XML file. This facilitates the process by speeding it up and eliminating the possibilities for human error,” he said.

Mr Rosalie noted that aside from human error, a common issue is that when statements are issued annually, they are sent to employers and do not necessarily find their way to individual employees.

To access the services, both employers and members need to visit one of SPF’s branches on the three main islands where they can register for the service relevant to them. Registration through the online portal is not possible for identity verification purposes.

As one of the organisations who are embracing digital technologies, head of people function at Barclays Bank Ltd (soon to be Absa) Valerie Busetto noted that the services will be of great use not only to her department, but also to individual employees of the banking institution.

“We at Barclays have already embarked on the digital journey so for us, the SPF’s new e-services have come at the ideal moment, where staff can see their personal details online. Today, we are given hard copies of statements and we then have to distribute this to the 283 employees and often they either misplace these. At least now, once they are registered for the e-service, they can access their details at their convenience and right at their fingertips,” Mrs Busetto added.

The web-portal is already online and accessible by registered users while the online payment facility is expected to be up and running towards the end of January 2020.

By Laura Pillay