Separate Annual Report 2021

68 BARBADOS PUBLIC WORKERS’ CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT UNION LIMITED | SEPARATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2022 BARBADOS PUBLIC WORKERS' CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT UNION LIMITED Notes to the Separate Financial Statements For the year ended March 31, 2022 (Expressed in Barbados dollars) 41 13. Pension Plan Asset, continued The contribution rate paid by the employee is fixed and the Credit Union pays the balance of the ultimate cost of the benefits and hence the Credit Union’s contribution is unknown. The Credit Union is expected to pay $819,109 in contributions to its defined benefit plan in 2023 (2022: $885,408). Currently at retirement, employees with service to April 1, 2015 are entitled to receive a pension benefit equal to: 1. 1.75% of their pensionable salary as at April 1, 2015 reduced by 1.32% of the National Insurable Earnings as at April 1, 2015. Plus 2. 1.75% of annual pensionable salary earned while a member of the plan after April 1, 2015 reduced by 1.32% of the annual national insurance salary while a member of the plan after April 1, 2015. Employees’ pension benefits are further increased by the amount of pension that can be purchased with any voluntary contributions accumulated with credited interest to their retirement date. There are three trustees of the plan, one is an employee representative while the other two are external to the Credit Union. The trustees are required to understand the risks taken, make reasonable investment decisions, and provide members with information and act in the best interests of the plan participants. The Plan is invested in a segregated pensions fund consisting of two Funds which cover a broad spectrum of available assets. The strategic investment policy of the Funds can be summarised as follows: Bonds Fund: A unit trust with a strategy of acquiring regional and non-regional long-dated securities, where possible, but the majority of its financial investments are still predominantly in Barbados currency. The Fund’s objective is to generate income and preserve capital through investment in competitive yielding fixed income securities including mortgages, bonds and other debt instruments. Equity Fund: This is a unit trust that invests mainly in Barbadian equities, Barbadian real estate, commercial mortgages, foreign equities and bonds. This Fund’s objective is to provide long-term capital growth through investment in a diversified portfolio of equity securities and real estate.

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