Dear Editor,
Present-day pensioners have been contributing to the National Insurance Scheme since its birth in 1969, and these contributions are made on a percentage fixed by NIS. This means that since there are varying bands of contributions, there will also be varying bands for the receipt of pensions.
For some time now (2014 included) the NIS, in awarding a 5% increase to pensioners, has advised that this increase should only be paid to pensioners who are in receipt of the minimum pension.
This was and is a scheme built on the backs of employees nationwide, and each employee looks forward to his/her correct pension which is calculated on their individual contributions along with whatever increases are awarded. Any increase should be awarded to all its pensioners and not only those at the lowest end. This has created an anomaly in pensions, whereby those pensioners whose contributions were higher than those at the minimum will see the lower contributor gradually increasing to draw level.
This is an unfair and discriminatory situation which NIS has created for its pensioners and should be corrected so that all NIS pensioners are paid their increases from January 1, 2014.
Could the general manager please explain why this situation has been permitted for some time now?
It should be noted also, that there is some correlation between the public sector wage (increase) and pensions.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
