Nambawan Super members to benefit from mobile application

Caption:  The mobile application’s user friendly interface screens.

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, October 4, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MEMBERS of Nambawan Super Limited can now breathe a sigh of relief following the introduction of a mobile application that will enable members to have more control of their superannuation savings information thanks to the introduction of the Nambawan Super Smart Phone Application.

Launching the mobile application, Chief Executive Officer Garry Tunstall, said the application provides access to all members throughout the country where they can access smart phones and use them to obtain their balances and statements and to download information.

“The real benefit for members here is that they don’t have to spend a lot of money travelling to our branches from remote locations,” Tunstall said.

“As long as they can access the application via the smart phone- they can tap into the application at virtually limited cost to them.”

“I’d like to acknowledge Kina Fund’s Management and their organization particularly Adam Fenech (Managing Director Kina Wealth Management) for helping develop the application which is technology we have been using and Financial Synergy out of Australia which is unique to superannuation funds.”

“I do not think any other fund has an application that can be used by members.”

Chief Manager Members Services, Charlie Gilibichi, pointed out that the application can be downloaded for free from iTunes online store or Google play store using the search terms ‘Nambawan Super’.

“Once they download into their phone they will be asked to activate the service through a number of log in mechanisms,” Gilibichi explained.

“The username is their membership number, and the initial password is a token when we register members we will get their mobile numbers where we will put them into our system, members will get a 4 digit token via their phone through an SMS message.”

“The token becomes their password and they click register, it takes them to the next stage to verify through their employer payroll number which will take them to a screen to choose a pin number. So every time they want to go back to their account they have to use a 4 digit pin to access their account information.”

Gilibichi added that with the new app a new function not available on their other online services includes members now being able to access their statements and transaction histories dating back two to three months to keep track of their contributions along with that of their employer.

Tunstall pointed out that the superannuation fund will aim to give the service to as many of its members to service themselves for convenience sake.

“As an example in Bougainville if you’re from the North side of Bougainville and you want to travel to Buka it will cost you K150, one way trip, so it costs a member K300 to travel to one of our offices just to check their savings information,” he said.

“This has taken us 12 months to develop, started 12 month through a long arduous process but now it’s on deck it is fantastic for everyone.”

“We are in discussions with Mobile phone companies as we speak and hopefully we are able to offer in the near future smart phone between a K100 K150 to our members, but we are in negotiation with the appropriate parties to deliver that.”

NSL fund manager, Kina Wealth Management General Manager, Adam Fenech, hailed the achievement of putting more power in the hands of members to actually access information that they need.

“This is world leading and there is very few super funds in the world that have mobile devices, the fact that an organization in PNG is at the forefront of using technology to help members is a fantastic achievement,” Fenech said.