–resolves long-standing issues

FINANCE Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Saturday led a team from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where they met with residents and resolved a number of long-standing issues.

Minister Singh, along with the Directors of the NIS Board and employees, met with persons at the branch office in Anna Regina.

Many issues pending for years were immediately resolved following the intervention of Dr. Singh. Some of the issues include compliance certificates, contribution statements and payments, registration and replacement of NIS cards, signing and submission of life certificates, submission of claims, benefits, and pension.

Dr. Singh told residents that the government planned these outreaches in an effort to address a large backlog of cases at NIS.
During the course of the day, two persons were able to receive their NIS pension books after waiting years to have their issues resolved. They are Kenneth Chunoo and Pitamber Sukoo.

Chunoo said he had applied for his pension book since 2017, only to learn that there was an issue of missing contributions. He explained that since then, he had been back and forth, trying to resolve the matter.
He further highlighted that he had received an initial sum of money, in the form of a grant, from the NIS, but later appealed the matter in an effort to start receiving his full pension.

He said that it was not until the recent presidential outreach in the region that he started to make some headway in his case. There, he said, he was able to speak to President Irfaan Ali, and that led to his receiving his pension book today.

“I feel quite alright, because I am not working anywhere, and I got to pay bills and everything. So, now that I get the pension, I thank God for it,” Mr. Chunoo said.

Mr. Sukoo said that he, too, encountered a delay of two years in receiving his pension book. He was also issued a grant, but later appealed the decision. He said that when he visited the NIS office in the region, he was asked to make contact with the Head Office in Georgetown, where the matter was eventually resolved.

After collecting his pension book, Mr. Sukoo said, “It means I will be receiving my NIS payment on a regular basis; I am very happy about it, that I have received this book.”