– Urged to uphold the principles of social security
Twenty persons from this year’s cohort of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Inspector Training Programme have completed the course and are equipped with the necessary tools to uphold the principles of social security.
The group of people received their certificates at a simple ceremony on Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) where the General Manager of the scheme Holly Greaves related that this year’s programme marks a vital milestone in the professional development of the graduates who would have committed themselves towards learning the importance of upholding the principles of social security.
2024 Batch of NIS inspectors
On this point, Greaves stated that to ensure citizens are receiving the highest standards of service, the NIS must finance programmes such as these to ensure their workers are well-trained.
“We recognised that it is important for us to invest in training of our employees for them to be empowered as well as be able to give the best service to our contributors, beneficiaries and pensioners”
Additionally, she revealed that participants were well-trained throughout the programme and as such she expressed confidence in them that would effectively carry out their duties and uphold the standards of the NIS.
“Our graduates have undergone three months of vigorous training which provided them with the knowledge, expertise, and practical skills that are needed for their role in the National Insurance Scheme. I am confident that with the training received, they are well equipped to ensure the effective compliance of the National Insurance and Social Security Act Chapter 36:01 which governs the collection of contributions” she posited.
Meanwhile, also delivering remarks at the graduation ceremony was Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh who highlighted that the past and recent batch of graduates underscores the government’s commitment towards bolstering the National Insurance Scheme.
“I want, first of all, to congratulate all of you on your successful completion of this training programme. And I want, of course, to wish you well as you embark on your respective careers within the scheme. I want also to say very clearly that I don’t view this as merely another graduation exercise with another 20 new inspectors completing a training programme. For example, this graduation, like those who have come before it, last year’s cohort and the cohort the previous year, the year before that, represent a very important part of our government’s ongoing effort to strengthen the scheme,” Dr. Singh added.
Additionally, the minister noted that the National Insurance Scheme is the only form of social security available to Guyanese citizens. As such he urged the new batch of inspectors to effectively carry out their duties to ensure all Guyanese who have given in their NIS contributions during their years of work get the benefits they legally deserve upon retirement.
The scheme was one of the first institutions established in a newly independent Guyana with the recognition of how important it was to have some form of national insurance and social security.
“For almost all Guyanese, the National Insurance Scheme represents the only form of social security that they have at their disposal. It represents the only form of medical insurance and unemployment insurance that they have. And for many people, it represents the only pension that they will get upon their eventual retirement. Considering the reality that most people, when they attain age 60, they are dependent on and expectant of this National Insurance pension that they legitimately expect to get” he asserted.
The NIS inspector programme lasted a total of 65 days comprising of 54 days of classroom sessions and eleven days of work studies, notably, this year’s programme received 100 percent passes.
