THE Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) owes the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) over $206 million owing to non-remittance of workers’ contributions dating as far back as September 1994.

This is according to NIS Debt Recovery Manager Louis Bryant, who appeared before the City Hall Commission of Inquiry (CoI) at the Critchlow Labour College on Wednesday.
The debt includes both the principal as well as interest owed the scheme. There were a few intermittent payments made during the period, Bryant told the CoI.

“Part payments would’ve been made [but] there are still outstanding monies. There had been payments made for some periods, but interest was not made for the period,” Bryant said.

Bryant submitted a number of documents into evidence, including demand notices that were issued to the council and the copy of a letter to the Local Government Commission (LGC), asking for its intervention into the matter.

It has been known for some time that the M&CC has not been remitting its employees’ NIS contributions that it has been deducting from its employees’ wages and salaries.
Aside from NIS deductions, the MCC has also not been remitting employees’ pension and credit union deductions.

Appearing before the CoI some weeks ago, Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) accountant Abeola Griffith, had testified that the union is owed over $46M in unremitted dues.
In August of this year, the City Hall workers had protested this situation.