The Employees Trust Fund (TAP) organised the Lakastah Bersedia Programme, a comprehensive retirement planning initiative held over two days on July 30 and 31, at the Al-‘Afiah Hall, Ministry of Health (MoH).

Among others, the goal of this programme is to promote the importance of early preparation for retirement, covering areas such as financial planning, health, family and social relationships, and asset management.

The target group comprised individuals expected to retire within the next 10 to 15 years.

For this session, a total of 30 officers and staff members from the MoH, together with their respective spouses, were invited to participate. The inclusion of spouses was intended to enhance the effectiveness of joint retirement planning.

Through this programme, participants had the opportunity to gain exposure and practical guidance from invited institutions.

In addition to presentations on financial and retirement planning by TAP’s Retirement Services Unit, other participating institutions included Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB), which emphasized the importance of recognising and avoiding financial scams; ‘Bahagian Khidmat Nasihat Keluarga’, which highlighted the importance of maintaining family and social well-being; Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), which discussed asset inheritance management before and after death according to Islamic law; and the Health Promotion Centre, which focused on maintaining physical well-being before and after retirement.

The programme also highlighted the need for participants to identify retirement income goals early and take proactive measures to maintain their current lifestyle after retirement.

TAP encouraged voluntary contributions to the SPK Member Account as one of the efforts to strengthen personal retirement savings beyond the mandatory rate.

With the Lakastah Bersedia Programme, it is hoped that it will serve as an early foundation for participants to build a more planned, secure, and meaningful retirement life.

This initiative will continue and be extended to other ministries and government agencies in the future.

For TAP members seeking further information on services provided by TAP, please contact the TAP Call Centre at 272 2929 during working hours or email ask@tap.com.bn.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin