Dear Editor,
A letter by a Neil Adams (“NIS is a bedrock for Guyanese who attained the age of retirement,” Mar. 23, 2024, KN), started well saying how NIS is “a scheme that is meant to be a sustenance to us so that we can live a life of comfort when we would have reached our twilight zone.” He was going good until he ended by blaming all the victims of NIS, when he said “Some workers cannot show proof of contributions and for which the NIS cannot show record of their contributions. This has been a sore point between contributor and the NIS. The NIS insists in the worker providing evidence of his contribution while the worker is adamant that they have paid in their contributions and must be compensated for it.”
Adams said, “Now herein lies the perennial problem which in many cases is the fault of the worker…The NIS cannot go on hearsay evidence, cold, hard copy evidence is proof of your claim, and any other source is on shaky ground.”
Unless Adams is carrying water for the NIS and Minis-try of Finance, did he miss the Zainul case, a Toolsie Persaud worker who sued NIS for his benefits? (“Justice Younge orders NIS to pay Toolsie Persaud Limited staffer,”Nov 29, 2023). Although Mr. Zainul provided an abundance of evidence including pay slips for the years NIS did not have records, NIS refused to pay him. That’s why he sued in Court. Instead of paying up, our working-class Government filed an appeal against paying this poor man waiting 12 years for his payment due to him.
The Judge essentially said it is the NIS’ job to monitor and keep proper records, and that most of the NIS contribution statements are largely inaccurate and incomplete. The NIS Act places the responsibility on NIS to do its job monitoring contributions. So, Mr. Adams trying to blame workers for not checking contribution statements for accuracy, is in essence, excusing the incompetence at the NIS and Ministry of Finance who is in charge of them.
Now, workers can see contributions on line, but for people like my 88-year-old cousin being given the runaround for 28 years, records were not computerized long ago. And his company, Bermine, was closed down long ago. So how does Mr. Adams expect my cousin to find records for a year’s missing contributions? My cousin provided some circumstantial evidence and got the former Personnel Manager and a worker he supervised to vouch for him that he worked that year, but the Board rejected that. If they would not pay Mr. Zainul as ordered by the Judge, why would Mr. Adams think if you keep proper records NIS will pay you.
I don’t know if NIS is now operating under political considerations, but for the Government side to say if they pay Zainul, NIS will be bankrupt as others would make similar claims too, is untenable. My cousin has asked the President and Minister of Finance for their intervention but he has not heard back from anyone. Mr. Adams, get real, and think deeply before you fire off letters! There are too many victims of NIS out there!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
Civil Society Advocate
