18 Three-Year Benefit Expenditure 8. Administration expenses as a percentage of contribution income decreased from 5.32% to 4.64% in FY2017. CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVERY During the reporting period, we continued to adopt collaborative strategies aimed at further improvement in the quality of our service and enhancement of customer satisfaction. These strategies included: • The maintenance of arrangements under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to provide information on the death of claimants who were recipients of the Retirement Benefit. This resulted in the removal of the need for claimants to produce life certificates every 6 months, with the exception of non-nationals who reside abroad. • Provision of online access so that insured persons can now request contribution statements online. • Provision of online access that allows employers to register their businesses within one day and to remit contributions to the NIBTT on behalf of its employees. • The registration of new employees has now been reduced to five days. • Digitisation of contribution records, thereby improving the turnaround time for the processing of claims. • Increased emphasis on ‘Pension Ready’ activities to provide pre-emptive support to potential claimants who are about to retire. • Upgrades to Information technology with the purchase of new hardware and software to improve data access and improve processes. EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER REGISTRATION Our Service Centre network received 24,074 employee registration applications during this reporting period, a decrease of 5,589 or 18.8% when compared with the previous year’s figure of 29,663. Of the 24,074 applications for processing in the financial year, all or 100% were determined. Of these, 15,519 or 64.5% were newly insured persons who were added to the database this year. During FY2017, 2,221 employers submitted applications for registration, a decrease of 610 or 21.5% when compared with the previous year’s receipt of 2,831. A total of 2,221 applications were available for processing, 100% of which were determined. 2,216 or 99.8 % were registered as new employers. Currently, the total employer population stands at 21,342 – an increase of 4.21% when compared to the previous reporting period of 20,479. BENEFIT ADMINISTRATION Beneficiaries received a total of $4,748.50Mn in benefit payments. This represented an increase in expenditure of 5.21% over the previous reporting period.