A former contributor to Samoa's National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F.) has appealed to the Government-run superannuation to review its policy on the withdrawal of workers' contributions.

Aimiti Toalepai, 49, told Samoa Observer in an interview that it is unfair that people have to wait until they are 65 years of age before they can access their superannuation.

She said there is a risk something could happen to a contributor before he or she reached the mandatory age of 65, when the policy which allows him or her to access to their pension goes into effect. 

“I’m just curious because a lot of things happen to people before they reach 65 years old and they have not even once touched their N.P.F. money.

“I am not trying to interfere with their business, but I know for sure that I am also not the only one who wants to get a hold of their N.P.F. money before they reach their 60s so I think it’s worth letting them know," she said. 

Mrs. Toalepai has been unemployed for a while and currently earns an income through the sale of cocoa beans to tourists and locals.

But she doesn't take for granted her unemployed status in Samoa, as she said her circumstances would have been different if she was without a job and living abroad. 

“I mean for us the unemployed, we’re just lucky enough to have to grow up in Samoa where food is found everywhere,” she added. 

Attempts by this newspaper to get a comment from the S.N.P.F. management were unsuccessful at the time of going to press.