The Kiribati Provident Fund says 200 people have so far signed up to its voluntary scheme introduced earlier this year.
The Fund's Finance Manager, Veronika Teibabaa, says the scheme is open to I-Kiribati sailors working overseas and also people currently unemployed.
Mrs Teibabaa says contributions for the voluntary members are due and may be up to 12 hundred dollars for six months.
She says for the time being the scheme is only open to residents of the capital, Tarawa, but the Government plans to extend it throughout the country.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Kiribati Islands Overseas Seaman's Union, KIOSU, has praised the scheme.
Noorati Anterea says it's a direct answer to long standing need which had been repeatedly raised with past Governments.
