UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT VIENNA OFFICE FOR DRUG CONTROL AND CRIME PREVENTION
Division of Administrative and Common Services UNOV/INF.28
Human resources Management Section ODCCP/INF.27
30 June 1998
INFORMATION CIRCULAR*
RULES OF THE STAFF ASSISTANCE FUND
Mandate
1. The Staff Assistance Fund (SAF) was established as a subsidiary account of the Staff Welfare Fund** to provide loans for provident and productive purposes to staff members of the United Nations units serving at Vienna. The financial resources are provided by the Staff Welfare Board of UNOV, which will set aside periodically, from the funds available to it, the amounts necessary to operate the Staff Assistance Fund. It should be noted that the United Nations units located at Vienna have no liability with regard to the operation of the Fund.
Organization
2. The Staff Assistance Fund is administered by the Staff Assistance Committee. The Staff Assistance Committee, consisting of four members and four alternates, shall be appointed by the Staff Welfare Board. A meeting quorum shall consist of least one half of the members of the Committee. One of the members shall be a qualified accountant and shall serve as Treasurer of the Fund. An alternate member shall serve as Alternate Treasurer. The members and their alternates shall be appointed for a two-year term and shall be eligible for reappointment for a maximum of three terms. The Committee, which is a subsidiary organ of the Staff Welfare Board, shall be the sole body responsible for approving loans in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in paragraphs 7-17, below.
3. The Staff Welfare Board shall elect the Chairperson of the Staff Assistance Committee and the Treasurer. The Secretary will be appointed by the Director-General.
4. The Committee shall adopt its own procedures, which, to become valid, must receive the concurrence of the Staff Welfare Board.
*Expiration date of the present information circular: 31 December 2001.
**See bulletin of the Director-General and Executive Director UNOV/DGB.2-ODCCP/EDB.2 of 12 February 1998.
V.98-54606 (E)
5. The Committee shall report annually to the Staff Welfare Board of UNOV, which shall reproduce the Committee’s report in its own annual report.
6. Financial statements of the Staff Assistance Fund shall be prepared annually, as at 31 December of each calendar year, and shall be audited by the auditors appointed to audit the activities of the Staff Welfare Board.
Terms and conditions of loans
7. All staff members of United Nations bodies located at Vienna whose payrolls are administered by UNOV are eligible for loans. Staff members in the General Service category shall have first priority in the consideration of requests for loans.
8. Applicants are expected to exhaust their own financial resources before requesting a loan from the Staff Assistance Fund.
9. No disbursement from the Staff Assistance Fund shall be made unless it is approved by the Committee. All information and records related to applications shall be confidential.
10. Monthly repayments, composed of principal and interest, shall be deducted by the Payroll Unit of UNOV Financial Service from each borrower’s monthly salary upon receipt of a written instruction from the Committee, transmitted through its Treasurer. The corresponding amounts shall be credited to the account of the Staff Assistance Fund.
11. The maximum amount for loans, periods of repayment and rates of interest are indicated in annex I and the monthly repayment schedule in annex II. The maximum amounts can vary, at the discretion of the Committee, depending upon the availability of funds to meet the demands for loans. The period of repayment shall not normally exceed the remaining term of the applicant’s contract or assignment with any of the eligible United Nations units located at Vienna.
12. Before separation or transfer from the respective United Nations Unit located at Vienna, the borrower shall repay in full the amount due. This amount may be deducted in full from the terminal emoluments and monies due to the borrower.
13. The Committee may change the maximum amounts for loans, periods of repayment and rates of interest and other conditions at any time, subject to the concurrence of the Staff Welfare Board. The new conditions shall apply only to new loans.
14. The Committee shall not approve a loan to any applicant for more than one category of loan at a time.
15. No new application from a staff member shall be entertained by the Committee until any previous loan has been repaid in full.*
16. Loans may not be used for the purchase of real estate with the intention of rental or resale, or for any other gainful investment purpose. If the money borrowed is used for a purpose other than that for which it was requested, then any unpaid balance shall, upon a decision to this effect by the Staff Assistance Committee become immediately due for repayment.
17. Borrowers are obliged to submit, within two months after the loan has been received, documentary evidence of actual expenditure to show that the loan has been used for the purpose for which it was granted. No reminder will be issued. Failure to provide such evidence will disqualify the borrower from receiving any further loan.
*Staff members are reminded that in the case of extreme personal emergency, recourse to the Staff Benevolent Fund, another subsidiary account of the Staff Welfare Fund, may be possible.
Annex I
STAFF ASSISTANCE FUND
Maximum amounts for loans and maximum repayment periods
(Rate of interest: 3.5 per cent per annum)
Maximum repayment period (months)Purpose of loan / Maximum amount
(Schillings) / Staff at the P-3 level and above / Staff in the General Service category and at the P-1 and P-2 levels
Purchase or improvement of primary residence (site, flat, house, installation of fixtures, fittings, etc.) / 180 000 / 24 / 48
Furnishings / 100 000 / 18 / 36
Personal emergency or general purpose that in the opinion of the Committee represents a proper use of the Fund’s resources / 100 000 / 24 / 48
Cars / 80 000 / 12 / 24
Annex II
STAFF ASSISTANCE FUND
Repayment schedule
(Monthly installments in Austrian schillings at 3.5 per cent interest per annum)
AmountBorrowed
Schillings) / Number of monthly installments 6 12 18 24 30 36 48
20 000 / 3 367 / 1 698 / 1 142 / 864 / 697 / 586 / 447
25 000 / 4 209 / 2 123 / 1 428 / 1 080 / 872 / 733 / 559
30 000 / 5 051 / 2 548 / 1 713 / 1 296 / 1 046 / 879 / 671
35 000 / 5 893 / 2 972 / 1 999 / 1 512 / 1 220 / 1 026 / 782
40 000 / 6 735 / 3 397 / 2 284 / 1 728 / 1 394 / 1 172 / 894
45 000 / 7 577 / 3 821 / 2 570 / 1 944 / 1 569 / 1 319 / 1 006
50 000 / 8 419 / 4 246 / 2 855 / 2 160 / 1 743 / 1 465 / 1 118
55 000 / 9 260 / 4 671 / 3 141 / 2 376 / 1 917 / 1 612 / 1 230
60 000 / 10 102 / 5 095 / 3 426 / 2 592 / 2 092 / 1 758 / 1 341
65 000 / 10 944 / 5 520 / 3 712 / 2 808 / 2 266 / 1 905 / 1 453
70 000 / 11 786 / 5 945 / 3 998 / 3 024 / 2 440 / 2 051 / 1 565
75 000 / 12 628 / 6 369 / 4 283 / 3 240 / 2 615 / 2 198 / 1 677
80 000 / 13 470 / 6 794 / 4 569 / 3 456 / 2 789 / 2 344 / 1 788
85 000 / 14 312 / 7 218 / 4 854 / 3 672 / 2 963 / 2 491 / 1 900
90 000 / 15 153 / 7 643 / 5 140 / 3 888 / 3 138 / 2 637 / 2 012
95 000 / 15 995 / 8 068 / 5 425 / 4 104 / 3 312 / 2 784 / 2 124
100 000 / 16 837 / 8 492 / 5 711 / 4 320 / 3 486 / 2 930 / 2 236
105 000 / 17 679 / 8 917 / 5 996 / 4 536 / 3 660 / 3 077 / 2 347
110 000 / 18 521 / 9 341 / 6 282 / 4 752 / 3 835 / 3 223 / 2 459
115 000 / 19 363 / 9 766 / 6 567 / 4 968 / 4 009 / 3 370 / 2 571
120 000 / 20 205 / 10 191 / 6 853 / 5 184 / 4 183 / 3 516 / 2 683
125 000 / 21 047 / 10 615 / 7 138 / 5 400 / 4 358 / 3 663 / 2 795
130 000 / 21 888 / 11 040 / 7 424 / 5 616 / 4 532 / 3 809 / 2 906
135 000 / 22 730 / 11 464 / 7 710 / 5 832 / 4 706 / 3 956 / 3 018
140 000 / 23 572 / 11 889 / 7 995 / 6 048 / 4 881 / 4 102 / 3 130
145 000 / 24 414 / 12 314 / 8 281 / 6 264 / 5 055 / 4 249 / 3 242
150 000 / 25 256 / 12 738 / 8 566 / 6 480 / 5 229 / 4 395 / 3 353
155 000 / 26 098 / 13 163 / 8 852 / 6 696 / 5 404 / 4 542 / 3 465
160 000 / 26 940 / 13 587 / 9 137 / 6 912 / 5 578 / 4 688 / 3 577
165 000 / 27 781 / 14 012 / 9 423 / 7 128 / 5 752 / 4 835 / 3 689
170 000 / 28 623 / 14 437 / 9 708 / 7 344 / 5 926 / 4 981 / 3 801
175 000 / 29 465 / 14 861 / 9 994 / 7 560 / 6 101 / 5 128 / 3 912
180 000 / 30 307 / 15 286 / 10 279 / 7 776 / 6 275 / 5 274 / 4 024
Note: Information on intermediate amounts and monthly installments not listed above may be obtained from the Secretary of the Staff Assistance Committee.