Notwithstanding the progress that has been made in improving its services, Senior Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh has called on the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to take its work a step further by issuing annual statements to employees and contributors.
The official made the foregoing statement while delivering the feature address at a ceremony for the entity’s 53rd Anniversary. The event was held at the Patrick Martin borough Multipurpose Complex, Carifesta Avenue.
Minister Singh said a priority of the government when it assumed office in 2020 was to address the complaints received from contributors to the Scheme with pending claims at the time amounting to 14,000 as at November 2020. In support of this effort, he said government at the Cabinet level, undertook a series of nationwide outreach sessions that took the services of NIS to the citizens, with 12 sessions held in Regions 2,3,4,5,6 and 10.
Minister Singh said over 1,500 persons across the country have benefitted from these sessions, many of whom are in receipt of Old Age Pension after waiting for a number of years. Additionally, of the 14,000 pending claims inherited in 2020, over 12,000 have been addressed.
The Finance Minister noted however that NIS can and must do more to further improve its services by ensuring employees and contributors receive their yearly statements of contribution.
He also sounded a warning to employers that failure to hand over NIS deductions to NIS is a criminal matter. The Finance Minister then urged the NIS to ensure that each pensioner is treated with excellent service.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NIS, Ramesh Persaud also speaking at the event encouraged staff to continue to work diligently as ‘the work done to date would impact someone in the next fifty years’. He also alluded to the Strategic Plan to be implemented by the NIS which will address several areas including repairing the public perception of NIS, increasing its operational efficiency and dealing with backlogged cases and appeals.
During the 53rd Anniversary ceremony, children of NIS employees who performed outstandingly at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examinations were provided with Bursary Awards while long-serving employees also received awards.
