THE Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services yesterday met with pensioners and other affected members of the public, who ventilated their concerns at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) New Amsterdam, Berbice, branch office. The Members of Parliament (MPs) divided themselves into two groups and one went to Port Mourant, Corentyne, to observe the operational procedures at the NIS local office there, including the time allotted to deal with pensioners accommodation and records checks.
In addition, the visitors looked at the procedures applicable to dealing with issues of pensioners and claimants, with respect to the availability of monies at post offices and the use of birth certificates to verify identification of public assistance beneficiaries.
Discussions were also held with persons making claims and NIS staffers.
At the New Amsterdam office, Winston Hope, of Rose Hall Town, questioned why he cannot be in receipt of medical benefits after age 60 years.
He said he never made any claim during his active years but has since developed a medical condition which warrants assistance from NIS.
An employee of United Associates Security Service, who was previously employed by Khanai’s Security, complained that, although NIS deductions are recorded on his wages slip, NIS has no records of his contributions.
Compton Nero was employed by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and was stationed at Whim, Corentyne, when he was shot in the hip whilst on duty. However, after being examined by a medical practitioner, he was advised to refrain from active duty.
He rejected the advice and continued working for 11 more years but is unable to benefit from a pension, Nero lamented.
Rexford Amsterdam, a security guard who attained pensionable age last January, informed the committee that, after misplacing his National Identification Card, he was issued a temporary letter of identification by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Yet he remains without the ID, although registration was conducted in 2009/2010, when he was unable to register because of not having, at the time, the birth certificate he got last February.
REFLECT
Another complainant, Reginald Cort, who previously used the name Reginald Simon, said his NIS records did not reflect any payment during the years 1970 to 1979.
The former Ministry of Agriculture driver who was, sometimes, paid through the Ministries of Works, Labour and Natural Resources, related that, because of the unavailability of records, he was, initially, told that he had made just over 300 contributions.
But following a review by the NIS Appeal Board, the number increased to 801 contributions, although the matter is still being reviewed.
In an invited comment, MP Philomena Sahoye-Shury reminded the Guyana Chronicle that, since its establishment in 1969, NIS expected employers would deduct the relevant amount from their employees’ pay but there are instances where no record is available to substantiate claims.
Responding to the complaint by Nero, she said the Police failed to keep proper records and he should not have resumed work as advised by his doctor.
It is because of his continual employment, he is suffering from the effects of the injury, Sahoye-Shury posited.
With respect to complaints from within the sugar industry and security services, she noted that the record keeping is poor and that several businesses were not accurately reporting the number of persons in their employ.
Sahoye-Shury found, too, that there was incomplete documentation by several stakeholders. In addition, monies sent to post office to pay pensioners are, most often, used for other purposes while that transferred to a lending institution went into a wrong account.
However, accompanied by Amna Ally, Norman Whittaker and Albert Atkinson, she said, overall, the issues raised were not as a result of NIS negligence but promised that, on returning to Georgetown, efforts will be made to resolve the complaints.