IT is with great regret that I learnt that the NIS had a public meeting with contributors and the general public on matters of interest. Had I known, I would have attended and there would have been some serious fireworks as had been the case when I attended one at the Hotel Tower a few years back.

It is truly a thing most sickening to see what the National Insurance Scheme has become. Therefore the pronouncement by The Public Utilities Commission chaired by the eminent and prominent jurist, Justice Prem Persaud to not grant licence to increase rates to workers and employers, and denying their request to increase the pensionable age is absolutely right.
The edict states that the National Insurance Scheme must get its house in order. That it is unfair to the citizens of this country to burden them with increases in NIS at this time, and to the employers (the honest and decent ones). Then to want to raise the pensionable age to sixty-five(65) years of age at this time is most imprudent, impractical, and display a desperation on the side of the scheme and/or the government that has oversight on the scheme. They want, it seems, to excuse themselves sweetly by penalising the workers and compliant employers using these two avenues.
I am not an admirer of Christopher Ram and his political shenanigans, being a hard-core politician, with such political posturing that he will play with figures, and use his ability to write emotionally, in order to bring down and/or humiliate dynamic and hard-working officers of the government, such as the Hon. Ashni Singh, Minister of Finance and others. Sadly, he appeals to those who enjoy having wool pulled over their eyes; those who have the drumbeat of hate in their hearts; those who lack the wisdom and intelligence to see and understand reality; those governed more with emotions than anything else. He is a serious and dedicated politician cloaked as a journalist, while he is an able accountant for business firms and individuals, and must be respected as such.
Nevertheless, I fully support his statement on the National Insurance Scheme: 1. That it is difficult for Inspectors (and I say the management) to function as they do not have statutory powers against those who are flouting the laws.  2.  That he is offering legal assistance free. This is admirable.
This should be welcomed by the National Insurance management and government, but can they? I encourage the government to accept his offer, similarly, as they had accepted the offer of Glenn Lall of the Kaieteur News to publish free advertisements for a very long time. I understand that the politicians have strange minds oiled with the desire of self-preservation.
To use Mr. Ram’s offer, they may think it would make them look small or bad. On the contrary, I say use him, and all his legal colleagues, but merely for taking non-compliant employers who do not pay for themselves and their employees to court, with private fraud charges, if allowed by law. I do know that private criminal charges could be laid by any plaintiff. I would recommend, as I have done in the past in numerous television programmes, and articles and letters in the press, that in the absence of statutory powers to criminally charge those criminal employers who steal their workers contributions and their own, and it is known that some ministries and government corporations or authorities have been recalcitrant, and they should also be charged criminally, albeit, privately, in the absence of the laws to statutorily charge the perpetrators and blood suckers.
As I have asked publicly, I ask again, how could the Burnhamite regime have allowed this to be? Forbes Burnham established the National Insurance to benefit Guyanese as they age, and inform them not to be a burden on the state, but why did he not make the theft of NIS contributions criminal? Even the Desmond Hoyte government never looked at this issue, even while Carl Greenidge was the Minister of Finance. But I wish to also publicly ask, and fearlessly state, as a citizen of this country to speak and write, why for over twenty (20) years the PPP/Civic Government allowed this nasty state of affairs to continue? They are supposed to be the Clean, Lean and Mean Government, or was it merely for the beginning of their term, and not after the first? Had they had the wisdom and taken action ever since, the laws could have been changed, and even now they can get the cooperation of the Opposition. If they fail to introduce the paperwork in Parliament, then the majority opposition may do it and get the credit, and you know what, they should!
People who steal NIS contributions, who fail to register as self-employed, and this should be for any and every person, every businessman or woman, every vendor of any item, big or small, every fisherman, big or small, every big farmer, cattle or pig or any livestock, or cash crop farmer, every taxi owner and every driver, every contracted employee must cover themselves. With serious laws for imprisonment and forfeiture of assets, including mobile and immobile, and garnishment of bank accounts and wages then watch the dollars roll in. But most importantly, the scheme would become viable, and all persons would have protection, instead of becoming a burden on the state, or on society, at times of illness or old age.
People get accustomed to not paying NIS e.g., labourers, carpenters, masons, and painters. They never want to pay NIS, despite their super salaries, because they are accustomed to it. They want more money to drink alcohol and smoke.
The rum companies and the shareholders gloat over their profits annually, and have the kinds of schemes to addict people, while they themselves never drink alcohol. If all these people start paying, and educated to the benefits, they will comply, and if not, let the laws sting them bitterly. Usually people tend not to wish to pay for protection, as in times of need they would flock the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security with their needs (there are some genuine cases of need). Because they know if they scream loud enough, the opposition, whichever is in opposition would highlight their case in order to make the government of the day look bad, so these complainants can get some benefit, but when in power it is a different thing.
The government must not turn a blind eye to friends, who act as if they like the party or the government, many of whom are known blood suckers, using and sucking the government, and those with the tendency to sympathize with those whom it may appear have been one of the fighters in the days. It is known that one person posing as a company, employs almost 4000 workers in the security sector, posing as a security operative, has not paid for years, made an agreement to pay for the past and gets compliance because of that, with persons in NIS turning a blind eye to the amounts currently due.
If almost 4,000 contributions do not come in for that service, then something is seriously wrong, just  check with the ministries as to the number of employees, the employees each contract should have, and the amounts coming in to the NIS.  Cheating the NIS means cheating the GRA as well. We need a level playing field, as when people could submit forged GRA compliances, and do not pay fully for NIS and can cheat NIS, the field becomes uneven, and people could tender below cost, and use GRA contributions, theft of VAT (and this is large scale in the security and other sectors) and theft of workers’ NIS, become their profits; also, these provide less manpower or service required by contract to make their money. How can a government or governing party allow this to happen?  It is downright shameful.
The NIS affair is in national crisis which could lead to major social upheaval. The opposition and the government need to lock horns, not as political powerhouses to embarrass and humiliate, but to save the scheme and maybe our country with it. If the scheme fails, we all suffer.