Visible reinvention of NIS needed – Finance Minister

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has called for a cultural change at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), which will allow the organisation to operate in a completely new mode.

He said Government was fully cognisant of the effort the insurance company has been making in serving the nation. He stressed, however, that the same energy needed to be redoubled and become visible.
The Finance Minister, a Department of Public Information (DPI) report stated, was at the time speaking at the Trainee Inspectors and Nurse/Sick Visitors graduation ceremony on Thursday, at the NIS Sports Club Ground, Carifesta Avenue.
“Everybody has to reinvent themselves in this period of rapid change, and the NIS that reinvents itself is more relevant to institutions like the NIS, like anywhere else. You are a public institution, you serve the people of Guyana, you have the responsibility and obligation to provide the best of quality of service,” Dr Singh added.
He emphasised that the new cohort of trainee inspectors and nurse/sick visitors must play an integral part in the transformation and reinvention of the Scheme, noting that they were now ambassadors of the Government.
“I want you to take this responsibility very seriously, not only from the standpoint of dealing with pensioners and claimants with compassion, but dealing with employers in a diligent and professional manner,” the Finance Minister was quoted by DPI as saying.
Dr Singh said the agency needed to make sure every contributor received a statement of contribution annually, while noting that the contributors themselves have a responsibility to inquire and uplift their documents.
Further, the Minister pointed out that the Administration has zero tolerance for employees in any sector who treat citizens with disrespect, contempt, or lack of concern.
Guyana is rapidly becoming a nation of massive transformation; however, those changes are not confined to physical development.
“New economic sectors are emerging, new infrastructure is being built out at an unprecedented pace, new services are being demanded and are being provided,” Minister Singh relayed.
He said it was unfair for Guyanese to boast about the revolution of the State, but have institutions still operating like they were “in the Stone Age or the Ice Age”. Every institution within the private and public sector is required to change with the same pace.