Business Reporter
THE Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) has launched the Biometric Verification Mobile Application and Biometric Verification Handheld Devices in Okandjira, Ovitoto, in the Otjozondjupa Region.
Edwin Tjiramba, General Manager of Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement, explained that the Fund strives to achieve service excellence for an exceptional stakeholder experience and interaction, solidifying the Fund’s commitment to positively transforming its operations and the strategic objective of being a member-centric pension fund. The digital products and services will improve the Fund’s business processes and meet stakeholder expectations.
Speaking at the launch event, Martin Inkumbi, Chief Executive Officer/Principal Officer of the GIPF, stated, “The Fund introduced the biometric verification process, which requires that all eligible pensioners verify and provide proof of life. This results in pensioners, child and spousal annuitants receiving their monthly pension benefits on time.”
He added that it is imperative that this group of members verifies proof of life three times a year at GIPF offices across the country.
This process ensures that the Fund only pays benefits to eligible members and beneficiaries of the GIPF. Biometric verification is not convenient for many due to the long travelling distances, money required for transport, and the burden of physically visiting the Fund’s offices. Inkumbi stated that this process is, however, necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Fund, as these benefits are payable for life.
“We have heard the appeals to improve our biometric verification process and therefore introduced integrating digital transformation to streamline our business processes by embracing new and emerging technologies for the benefit of our members and their beneficiaries,” said Inkumbi.
Speaking at the same event, Israel Hukura, Councillor of Omatako Constituency, stated, “The GIPF, through these innovations, has heard the plight of our elderly and most vulnerable in our communities by ensuring that self-service and decentralisation of products and services has become a reality.”
Tjiramba, General Manager of Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement, said that the Fund has reached out to various Regional and Local Authority Constituency Offices across the country, where the handheld devices will be available for members to verify proof of life.
“The Fund identified Ovitoto and 13 constituency offices across the country to dispatch the handheld devices as a pilot phase before introducing the offering to other parts of our country. The 13 constituency offices are !NAMI #NUS, Rehoboth Rural, Mukwe, Mpungu, Khorixas, Okongo, Otjombinde, Otamanzi, Uuvudhiya, Omutele, Tsumkwe, Omatako, and Kongola Constituency Offices. The Fund will announce the further rollout of the handheld devices to other parts of the country thereafter. The handheld devices require applicable members to visit regional constituency offices to verify,” Tjiramba said.
He further explained that the Mobile Verification Application is a self-service tool for members to verify proof of life in the comfort of their homes. “This application is available to all GIPF pensioners, child and spousal annuitants who have access to a mobile device and data. The application is available from the date of launch, Thursday, 10 October 2024, on all Android devices and will be coming soon to iOS devices; the dates of availability on Apple devices will be communicated in due course. GIPF implores all pensioners, child, and spousal annuitants to embrace these technologies as they are secure, safe, and accessible. The Fund has taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the tools are user-friendly and will save members time and money to verify proof of life so as not to forfeit benefit payments,” Tjiramba concluded.
