Dear Editor
With reference to, “NIS condemns false social media report”, Guyana Chronicle of June 21. The National Insurance Scheme (NIS)Public Relations Officer, Ms. Dianne Lewis Baxter’s description of the Inews social media page, which reported that the NIS has halted the payments of Injury and sickness benefits to sugar workers, as being “mischievous”, is to say the least, too charitable. In essence, this is a high class, and vile attempt by the dark forces, of continuing their well-known, orchestrated attempts to cause disaffection between the government and sugar workers.

One is in no doubt that this particular social media clique would have been among the numerous elements of misinformation, disinformation and fake news that would have disseminated the ugly lie that it had been the coalition that had been responsible for as the collapse of GuySuCo, and the subsequent closing of some sugar estates and termination of workers.

But to engage the point as captioned – It is a nefarious lie, since no such action has ever been taken by the NIS, since its came into being as a national institution, in September, 1969, with its operational laws encapsulated in Chap. 28:01, and other procedural guide. And these two particular benefits, in addition to the others have continued, despite the known financial challenges with which the institution has had to confront.

As far as is known, Injury benefits is commonly paid to sugar workers, as it is about a worker who sustain an injury proven to have arisen during and out of the course of employment. And given the nature of a sugar worker function, injuries are a common factor. But of course, there have been known to be numerous instances in which such claimed accidents have had to be investigated, because of doubts surrounding the circumstances of the cause of the accident, caused by way of conflicting explanations given. Once clarified then a decision is made as to allowing/disallowing the benefit.
Sickness benefit, like the latter benefit, and other benefits are all governed by specific conditions which must be fulfilled, before consideration for payment or not. Whichever decision, the particular claimant is notified, either by way of voucher, or notice of disallowance. There is recourse to appeal, as provided in the NIS Act.
The fact of the matter, is that the scheme, as stated above, and to the best of my knowledge, has never ordered the cessation of any benefit(s), save and except when such benefit(s) do not satisfy the conditions for qualification; which means that the benefit cannot be paid.

It is a continuing tragedy for social media to be used for the advancement of such wickedness for political ends. Seen for what it is, it is another deception being perpetrated on the poor sugar workers, who have been made to suffer because of criminal mis-management for over two decades. These online “alternative facts” cannot be fair to truth.

Regards
Earl Hamilton