Praneeta Prakash 
[Photo: FILE]
The Fiji National Provident Fund has no immediate plans to amend its legislation to allow withdrawals from preserved accounts for medical purposes.
The clarification was provided during a recent FNPF forum after a member inquired whether the Fund would consider granting access to preserved account savings in cases of critical illness affecting either members or their dependents.
The Fiji National Provident Fund Senior Manager Member Services, Farnaz Queet, has clarified a member’s query regarding medical withdrawals.
So currently, the law is restricting us and the law is designed in such a way that the only way you can touch a preserved account once is for a housing withdrawal.
She adds that medical withdrawals are permitted under the general account, subject to eligibility requirements.
And the medical grounds are limited to the general account eligibility only. We do not have any reviews around changing the law for that, so we take your feedback on board, but the answer to your question is currently no.
Queet stresses that preserved accounts are protected to ensure long-term retirement security and support for home ownership.
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