The Fiji National Provident Fund says they have to quarantine all manual applications as a precautionary measure to ensure their staff are not exposed to any danger in light of COVID-19. [File Photo]

All manual applications made to Fiji National Provident Fund are quarantined to ensure staff are not exposed to any danger in light of COVID-19.

Chief Executive Jaoji Koroi says this is part of their precautionary measure.

“Those that have been received manually we take through a quarantine program just to make sure our staff are safe in terms of handling those dockets.”

Koroi adds the Fund quarantines these applications for 48 hours before their staff can begin sorting through the application file to process them.

“Then it goes through a scanning process where those process are scanned digitally to be record for our members and then again registration and the processing and payments process.”

Chief Operating Officer Alipate Waqairawai says safety is paramount and this is why employers are being urged to assist their staff in making online applications.

“We would request all the employers to collaborate with us. We all know how difficult the times are. For some people the difference is between having their next meal.”

The Fund says this is the reason there is a slight delay in processing the manual applications.