Over the past years, there have been mounting complaints of various kinds against the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). These complaints have been varied, from contributors’ claims taking a very long time to be processed, to incomplete or poor record keeping which has resulted in contributors’ payments not being properly accounted for, to general complacency of the agency.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh recently registered the Government’s “grave concern” about the situation, and urged the new Board to take immediate action in finding solutions to the challenges which have plagued the organisation for several years now.
Minister Singh related the Government’s grave concern at the number of complaints received from contributors about delays in receiving their benefits and entitlements, sometimes as a result of incomplete records of their contributions to the Scheme. As such, he tasked the Board with addressing this problem immediately with a view to ensuring that public satisfaction with the level of service provided by the NIS improves urgently.
While the intention of the agency is indeed genuine, there is a general perception that it could operate with more efficiency and effectiveness in terms of meeting the expectations of the various stakeholders, especially contributors to the Scheme. While thousands of persons have benefited or are currently benefiting from the agency, several others have reported that they were made to endure a great deal of hassle in their engagement with the agency.
According to the organisation’s website, the NIS is a social security organisation which has as its Mission: To establish and maintain a system of Social Security through which enough income is secured to take the place of earnings when such are interrupted by sickness or accident, To provide for retirement through age or sudden death of a breadwinner, and to meet exceptional expenses as those concerned with birth and death and, To ensure that monies collected which have to be used for future payments are invested in such a manner that the economy of the country would reap maximum benefit.
The mission of the agency is clear, and the Board and management must continuously review its operational procedures and explore ways in which efficiency and effectiveness could be improved. They may want to consider having periodic public engagements to find out what are the pressing concerns of its members, who are paying or have paid into a system and expect to reap benefits in a timely manner. These regular public engagements would allow managers and senior officials to resolve issues on the spot, and would provide the agency an opportunity to have firsthand regular feedback from citizens as to what areas need to be improved.
Just a few days ago, the President himself, during a governmental outreach in Region 2, was bombarded with complaints against the agency, and it was only after he instructed that the management of NIS immediately work to resolve the issues that action was taken. This should have never been the case, as it portrayed the agency as one that is not very proactive.
The concerns raised by the residents of Region 2 mirror those of citizens in all regions of Guyana. It is hoped that the new Board will get down to business and immediately work to alleviate the problems confronting the Scheme, especially in relation to contributors’ records being in order and claims being processed in a speedy manner.
Additionally, the issue in relation to the financial situation of the Scheme and bringing it to a level of viability is also of utmost importance. It would be good if the Board were to undertake a detailed assessment of the present financial situation of the agency, and draft a paper as to how it intends to turn around same.
The bottom line is that the nation has had enough excuses from NIS about its failings. We certainly agree with the President that all State agencies must strive to operate at the highest level of efficiency and professionalism, and be fair to everyone who seeks to engage their services.
