The Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) beneficiaries has called on all its beneficiaries to register for the biometrics system otherwise, risk suspension of their pension benefits.
The biometric identification system matches the beneficiary’s fingerprint to the information on the GIPF database and ensure they receive benefit payments due to them.
The registration and verification process takes place three times a year during November to February, March to June and July to October.
A statement issued by GIPF’s Acting General Manager for Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement, Amos Kambonde on Tuesday said if any beneficiary fails to register or verify within the time period allocated their pension benefit will be suspended and will only be reactivated after registration or verification.
Verification is the process where the annuitant uses his/her fingerprint to verify his/her identity to confirm that he/she is still alive and ensures that the monthly income is paid to the rightful annuitant, the statement reads.
GIPF registers all annuitants who receive a monthly income from the Fund to enable it to identify their existence and ensure they receive benefit payments due to them.
If an annuitant who is above 18 years, is not registered for biometrics and does not have a GIPF card, then they are required to bring along original identification document (ID), a valid passport, full birth certificate, valid driver license with full birth certificate or voters card with the full birth certificate.
Annuitants who are below 18 years, should be represented by the parent or the legal guardian and the adults accompanying them should have any original ID, valid passport, valid driver’s license with birth certificate, voters card with birth certificate and guardianship certificate, while the child required to have a full birth certificate.
The registration and verification will take place at countrywide GIPF offices or any Nampost office.
Local daily reported on Tuesday that the biometrics system was introduced in 2009 because the previous system prone to fraud and error as well as time consuming.