Fiji National Provident Fund members will now be able to acquire laptops through the existing Education Withdrawal Benefit.

The laptop assistance will be effective from April 15th, 2024, and is applicable for higher education studies.

FNPF Chief Executive Officer Viliame Vodonaivalu says they had received a lot of feedback from members to reactivate it.

Vodonaivalu says they received a lot of requests from their members, particularly during the FNPF Member Forums, to assist members purchase laptops for their children and it is highly sought after to assist with higher education studies post-pandemic.

He says they understand that not all parents can afford to equip their loved ones with additional educational tools to support their studies and this is one way the Fund can step in to allow the inclusion of the laptop assistance.

The CEO says although this assistance was phased out in 2009 due to abuse, controls have now been put in place to minimize risks.

To access the laptop assistance, members must have a sufficient general account balance and must meet other requirements under the partial education withdrawal ground.