The tagline of the National Insurance Scheme is ‘more than a contribution its your life line’. Regrettably the vast majority of Barbadians become concerned about the functioning of the NIS […]if pension payments are generated late. Judicious investment of the estimated 4 billion dollars in NIS funds in order to effectively manage risk and guarantee a high yield is necessary to give validity to the tagline.  To ensure that the NIS fund is well funded actuarial reviews are commissioned every three years. The last review was 2011 with the current one due as at 31 December 2014.

14th Actuarial Review - December 31st, 2011
14th Actuarial Review – December 31st, 2011 – click image

40 responses to “NIS Actuarial Review 2011 – National Discussion Required”


  1. @14th NIS Acturial Review “January 27th, 2014…Sen. Dr. The Hon. Esther Byer-Suckoo
    14th Actuarial Review, prepared as at December 31st, 2011.

    Why does it take a full 2 years, that is all of 2012 and all of 2013 for the 2011 report to reach the NIS Minister’s desk? I am not an actuary, but can an actuary tell me if a 2 year lag is the norm for the industry?


  2. Simple Simon September 21, 2015 at 4:49 PM

    “I am not an actuary, but can an actuary tell me if a 2 year lag is the norm for the industry?”

    Simple Simon,
    NIS is a financial institution.

    If a financial institution:
    faces a persistent challenge in making RELIABLE information available
    cannot provide complete and RELIABLE data
    experiences extensive delays in conducting financial audits and in publishing annual reports

    Is that the norm for a well-managed financial institution?

    Even if the report had reached the Minister’s desk early, the question is: how much confidence can you or she have in the data?

    The NIS of the Bahamas conducts its actuarial valuations every 5 years, so it has to deal with 5 years of data compared to 3 years of data in Barbados’ case.
    The last Bahamian NIS actuarial report, like Barbados, was prepared as at December 31, 2011 and reached the Minister’s desk on June 17, 2013. That’s a lag of just under 1 1/2 years.


  3. Page 3 Barbados Today. Hydroponic Weed.


  4. Dear Walter: Point taken.


  5. @”The existence of a sophisticated hydroponics laboratory in a Christ Church community that was producing high grade marijuana…which was fetching as much as $10,000 per pound on the local market, was driving them out of business.”

    Dear Hants:

    I have a couple of acres in bush (of the legitimate but nuisance kind, nut grass, devil grass etc.) The land is sometimes in traditional root crops and vegetables which I sell for upwards of $5 per pound, that is when the theives including my own relatives let me get some to sell.

    But now you got me here dreaming–A greenhouse on that same acreage with a nice nice hydroponics set-up producing good quality herb (sorry ah mean producing green gold) which I could sell at $10,000 per pound (instead of sweet potatoes at $1.00 per pound)

    You think if I do that I could retire in a year or two?


  6. BU understands NIS continues to be challenged by generating benefit cheques. Does the NIS have a Communications Officer?

  7. `Walter Blackman Avatar
    `Walter Blackman

    Justin Robinson November 1, 2015 at 7:32 PM #
    “I have attempted to answer questions posed on this forum about NIS on many occasions.
    But I take the point loud and clear. Establishment people or perceived establishment people not welcome.”

    ac November 1, 2015 at 7:52 PM #
    “WAlter You are so RUDE you are so fking rude Justine Robinson came on BU to engaged on the matter of the BHL ,
    AS if that was not good enough for you you launched a sneak attack and goes on your rambunctious mode to accused the man of being less than transparent
    So what ! just because you have your own agenda and possibly others you expect Mr, Robinson to have a propaganda debate with you on another related subject
    You are so fking rude you need to go learn some manners , Fool!”

    Justin Robinson,
    Don’t give anybody the impression that somebody is bushwacking or ambushing you when it comes to asking for information about NIS. The NIS actuarial report is an extremely important document which provides you and the NIB the opportunity to educate Barbadians about the issues being raised by the actuary, and the progress being made by the NIB with respect to the implementation of the actuary’s recommendations.

    David and BU laid a perfect wicket here for you and your team to start the discussion ball rolling, by setting up this blog.
    Can you point me to one comment you have made here on this important subject?
    By the way, how come all of a sudden we are no longer simply Barbadians. How come persons are sliding themselves into slots labelled “political class” and “establishment people”?

    As I bring you kicking and screaming to this blog, I want you to get one thing straight. The people of Barbados pay you. You do not pay them. They are your boss, you are their servant. Learn to treat them with respect, not with disdainful silence and an air of arrogant dismissal. The issues raised in the 14th actuarial review are not confidential so don’t bring any asinine excuses to them.

    ac,
    You push your mout’ in every topic on BU. Please show me one comment you made on this important topic that affects the lives of all Barbadians.
    I do not pay you. The people of Barbados do not officially pay you. Obviously, you have found a way to pimp crumbs from the political table, and anyone who says or does anything to jeopardize those crumbs must feel the wrath of your parasitic tongue. You need to get up of your backside and start working for an honest living. Leech!


  8. WALT steupse…………………………………….. loud and hard You get it or should i repeat ,Come out of your ivory tower in the north and sit yuh backside on the political hot coals in barbados bro yuh aint saying nuttin so nobody going to pay yuh nutting and fuh what

  9. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    ac,
    I have my contributions in the NIS to defend.

    So I am here waiting to hear what Dr. Robinson is going to tell me and all Barbadians about what would happen to our retirement benefits and the NIS if government is unable to repay more than 1/2 of the NIS fund which it has borrowed and spent. That information is not confidential and there is nothing in it to cost him his job as chairman. In fact, he would be doing his job.

    Do you have anything intelligent to offer on this topic?
    Your comment is immaterial, personal, and rude.
    Don’t you have any manners? Can’t you find something better to do with your time?

    LOL

  10. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Mr. Walter Blackman

    You have to be careful looking at or talking to legion.

    From the time that you revisited this post you can be assured that Justin was contacted by Pinup Guts Stinkliar and given instructions

    I believe that Justin Robinson’s directives will be a do not engage, consistent with not sharing or giving any official insight into the NIS and more critically into the shenanigans of the ATM machine of the Demonaic Lying Party.

    Do you know how much money was spent on the SAP system at the NIS.??

    How many millions of $$$???

    You know how powerful such a system is? and the relative ease that it can generate the records you are referring to??


  11. @ Walter
    All jokes aside…..
    You need to lighten up on the Doc.
    Life is not as simple as you may wish to suggest.

    The reason that you are not sitting in an influential position in Barbados is because of your uncompromising attitude to what you consider to be ‘right’. That is your personality, (and also Bushie’s)..
    HOWEVER, you must be careful not to JUDGE everyone by YOUR personal standards.
    Most people are downright lackies who will do WHATEVER it takes to ‘get through’. They will lie, cheat, steal …sell their very souls …in exchange for what they think to be ‘success’.
    There are, however, some persons who GENUINELY mean well; want to do right; and whose personality allows them to ‘compromise’ to a much greater extent than yours or Bushie’s do.

    Such persons stand a far better chance of being appointed to influential positions than do you or Bushie …. or Caswell.
    …Is this not an opportunity for change to be instituted from INSIDE the system?
    …Should such persons be the targets of our ire…?
    …or are they really allies of the inside who should be supported and protected?

    Persons like Jeff, and now Dr Robinson, cannot be expected to play the kind of role that you and Caswell do…. but they are not necessarily enemies of righteousness.
    Prior to Justin’s inputs on BU, Bushie categorised him among the 80% self-focussed lackies who were sale to the highest political bidders. To his credit, he has (albeit gingerly,) been showing himself to be among those whose heart may be in the right place after all…

    Surely you recall your situation when as a young democrat, you sought to ‘do right’ in a party where it was more natural for everyone to do shiite….

    EASE UP……!!!

  12. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    pieceuhderockyeahright November 2, 2015 at 3:08 AM #
    “@ Mr. Walter Blackman
    You have to be careful looking at or talking to legion.”

    Bush Tea November 2, 2015 at 8:42 AM #
    “@ Walter
    All jokes aside…..
    You need to lighten up on the Doc.
    Life is not as simple as you may wish to suggest.”

    pieceuhderockyeahright and Bush Tea,
    It might appear that I am uncompromising, but in reality I am not. Believe me, I read almost all of the comments made on BU (I steer clear of the deeply religious stuff, because I believe faith is personal) and I try hard to understand the other person’s point of view. I am not here to insult or belittle anyone, and I certainly am not defining any personal “right” way to ram down anybody’s throat.

    I attack problems from many angles (financial, economic, actuarial, political, and sociological) and I try to gauge the reactions of human beings before I begin to formulate a solution in my mind.

    From my observations here on BU, and in the wider society, political and sociological problems are easy to identify, but are extremely difficult to solve because of the human factor and because of personal vested interests. A major societal problem we face is that people are calling for change, but don’t realize that they have to put up a serious sustained fight to achieve it.

    Admittedly, at times, I deliberately push the envelope to create an unforeseen, unplanned situation so that I can provoke human emotional reactions that are “naked, raw, and unencumbered”. These reactions give me my deepest insights into how feasible some perceived solutions really are, and when problems are becoming really intractable.

    Based on the actions of the government of Barbados over the past 35 years, the NIS faces a real threat of collapse. The threat comes from the fact that all of the projections being made are done so on the basis of $2 billion dollars of government paper being real money. It is not, if government is unable to tax the population again to collect it.
    If the NIS collapses, thousands of Barbadians will be plunged into post-retirement poverty. Like a tsunami, the Baby Boomers have now begun to make their retirement demands on the scheme. It is going to get worse from here on.

    My attempt to get this issue on the national front burner is motivated by a genuine concern for the welfare of my Barbadian brothers and sisters. I am not hounding down or ambushing Dr. Robinson. I am simply trying to convince him and the Government that the time has come to treat this problem with the sense of urgency and importance it deserves, rather than viewing the information they have access to as being confidential, and rather than dismissing contributors with the silent treatment.

    Finally, let me say that my techniques of gathering information and insights do not immunize me against rebuke or censure. As a human being, I am always exposed and susceptible to both. However, I know that when they are being proffered, they become part of an overall attempt to make me a better and stronger person. Therefore, I intend to learn from them.

    This blog has been set up for a national discussion on NIS issues, and I intend to take part in that debate here. I encourage Dr. Robinson and the NIB to play a meaningful role in that debate also.

    PS: I think Georgie Porgie’s heart is in the right place also, and I would like to take this opportunity to personally plead with him to avail Barbadians of the valuable knowledge and experience which he possesses. BU can only grow stronger through his meaningful participation.

  13. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    WHEN YOU COME HOME TO RUN, I de ole man still heah, (and a long as you keep you promise to lef my girlfriend whom I now calling Rapture alone) you got my vote and I gine tell me grandson to gi he skills to you campaign…


  14. The NIS in barbados is currently able to cover benefit expenditure from its contribution income. Given the population demographics and current contribution levels, unless either benefits or contributions are adjusted, at some point in the future the scheme will need to draw on its investment income and assets to meet benefits. I dont think there is anything especially unusual about this. The NIS is very open about the fact that 75% of its portfolio is in government of barbados of securities (its been around that level for most of the life of the scheme). Therefore if at some point the government of barbados is unable to meet its debt obligations the NIS would be severely impacted.

  15. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Justin Robinson November 2, 2015 at 11:49 AM
    “The NIS in barbados is currently able to cover benefit expenditure from its contribution income.”

    How are you able to make such an unequivocally authoritative statement given the lack of audited financial statements since 2005/06?

    In a previous post (@ Justin Robinson November 1, 2015 at 4:02 PM ) on another thread you referred to the NIS as a “board” and affirmed that the preparation of the financials up to the financial year 2014 was outsourced to a private accounting firm. Then you (subsequently) described the same NIS (managed by a Board of Directors) as a Government Department that must be audited by the Auditor General Department which subsequently outsourced their ‘auditing responsibilities” to a private firm of accountants.

    The questions to you Mr. Chairman, are as follow:

    Is the National Insurance Scheme operated as a Statutory Agency or as a Department of Central Government?

    Why are you paying large fees to a private accounting firm while still employing so-called high-flying qualified accountants to manage the NIS Finance function? What do these in-house financial controllers do to earn their pay packets? Why must contributors to the NIS be saddled with these double costs and inefficiencies?

    Is the auditing mandate, agenda and focus of the Auditor General (one that ought to be on economy, efficiency and effectiveness) the same as the external auditors whose services, you claimed, have been engaged through a public tendering process?

    Presumably the NIS, and by extension the contributors to the scheme, will be saddled again with these double costs and inefficiencies.

    Let me make a few suggestions by way of questions to you, Sir.

    Why not get rid of your top accounting staff since they appear to be totally incompetent and useless to the NIS?

    How about outsourcing your Accounting function, permanently?

    Why can’t the NIS (at the end of each financial year) engage the services of an external auditor to perform an audit on the annual financial statements with the Auditor General Department reserving the right to perform occasionally internal audits with the three “E’s” being the focus of its investigations?

  16. Justin Robinson Avatar

    The NIS is a government department, it is not a statutory corporation.

    The private accounting help was engaged to clear the backlog of financial statement preparation. Financial statement preparation is now up to date, the backlog is with the audits. By law we have to be audited by the auditor general.


  17. Isn’t there scope for the Auditor General to outsource to speed up sign off? If it is one point the AG has made in almost every report in the last ten years is that it is an under resource unit. We solve one problem and get skedaddle with a next?


  18. @millertheanunnaki re Dr. Justin Robinson who wrote “The NIS in Barbados is currently able to cover benefit expenditure from its contribution income.”

    So contribution income is used as “cash flow”. No problem as long as contributions exceed benefit expenditure…….fuh now.

  19. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Justin Robinson November 2, 2015 at 3:21 PM
    “The NIS is a government department, it is not a statutory corporation.”

    Seems more like half-sheep and half-wolf in a quagmire of absolute incompetence and simmering in a piggybank of political manipulation.

    Which other Government department has a Board with a politically-appointed chairperson? The Post Office or Customs or Immigration? Maybe Caswell can enlighten us all.

    Sorry to be a pain up your ass, Sir, but is that the very reason why your Board of Directors are unable to get rid of the incompetent detritus posing as senior financial managers who cannot even prepare on time simple financials for a two-bit organization in a little 2*4 country no bigger than the average borough or local council in the UK full of mis-educated ‘full-of-themselves’ jackasses with over thousands lawyers and two-for-a-dozen accountants?

  20. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Hants November 2, 2015 at 3:35 PM
    “… re Dr. Justin Robinson who wrote “The NIS in Barbados is currently able to cover benefit expenditure from its contribution income.”

    If you accept that then you can believe God is a Bajan. So how come people entitled to certain benefits are unable to receive them on time?

    It’s rather easy and acceptable to naïve Bajans to blame a breakdown of the computer for the sorry state of affairs at the NIS over the last two years. Yes, blame the computer! Not managerial incompetence or underlying cash flow problems.

    Why doesn’t the Dr. JR confirm whether the Central Government or any of its statutory agencies like the Transport Board have paid interest on or repaid any principal portions associated with the hundred of millions of dollars of advances and loans disbursed to them by way of instructions from the MoF?


  21. @ millertheanunnaki,

    I have no reason to disbelieve Justin Robinson and I don’t believe God is a Bajan.

  22. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Hants November 2, 2015 at 5:17 PM

    We don’t want you to “disbelieve” Dr. JR but to use your commonsense and intellect.
    D
    o you really ‘ believe’ the problems associated with the NIS inability to meet its obligations to those entitled to benefits are really due to a man-made and programmed computer?

    It would serve Bajans (including you, Hants) a great deal to take heed of the many warnings being given by Walter Mc.M. Blackman. As it stands, NIS is another CLICO on the horizon. We (both Wally and the miller) know what we are on about.

    Dr JR is a political lackey moulded from the same dish as Stinkliar and Quisling Boyce. Let him deny that the NIS is not being repaid any of the many loans made to Government-controlled entities.

  23. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    “The NIS is very open about the fact that 75% of its portfolio is in government of barbados of securities (its been around that level for most of the life of the scheme)”

    I find this astounding, Nothing quite like putting all your eggs in one basket? But I suppose as a government dept, if the government finds this suitable, it goes. Hence the ultimate investment committee are the reigning govt ministers. Holy shit that is scary.


  24. @ David October 6, 2015 at 12:17 PM #

    BU understands NIS continues to be challenged by generating benefit cheques. Does the NIS have a Communications Officer?
    …………………………………….

    A friend of mine was laid off recently. When she first went to register, she asked the person when how soon could she expect a cheque……..the officer told her 3-6 months, maybe five if she is lucky. To top it all off, the lady has to find extra bus fare to get up Warrens after every visit to NIS.

    But the DLP is for the small black man.

    Unbelievable!


  25. The government’s philosophy seems to be what is the sense being frugal with NIS funds if the country’s economy is deteriorating.


  26. @Millertheanunnaki wrote “It would serve Bajans (including you, Hants)”

    This only affects family and friends living and working in Barbados. I stuck in de freezer. lol


  27. @David I think they believe that an world economic boom is coming soon that will return Barbados to the days of bimmers and shopping in Miami.


  28. @ NorthernObserver November 2, 2015 at 6:16 PM #

    “The NIS is very open about the fact that 75% of its portfolio is in government of barbados of securities (its been around that level for most of the life of the scheme)”

    I find this astounding, Nothing quite like putting all your eggs in one basket?
    ………………………………………………

    We should ask the goodly chairman how much is 75% equal to. Is it THREE BILLION Dollars as Dr Mascoll alleges. To take 3 billion dollars out of any business or government entity must have an impact on its operations.

    No wonder last week, an employee can tell someone who went to inquire of a sickness benefit sent in since August that she does not know when the person could expect the cheque. The person said that on the employee’s desk was a pile of claims stacked high….she was there filing her nails, the phone was ringing and she did not answer the phone.

    I cannot really blame the employee….after all what can she do……….answer the phone each time and lie to people?

    We are doomed.


  29. @Hants

    75% holding of government paper in good times/boom is one thing, if the balance sheet of government has deteriorated should the risk managers make an adjustment to the investment mix?

  30. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    Justin Robinson November 2, 2015 at 11:49 AM #
    “The NIS in barbados is currently able to cover benefit expenditure from its contribution income.”

    millertheanunnaki November 2, 2015 at 1:50 PM #
    “How are you able to make such an unequivocally authoritative statement given the lack of audited financial statements since 2005/06?”

    millertheanunnaki,
    Based on the 14th actuarial report, the statement Justin wrote is true. Justin was careful and honest enough to clearly state that he was only focusing on BENEFIT expenditure.

    The 14th actuarial report covered the period from 2011-2013, but the report was not finalized until December 2013.

    Having gained access to some information produced in 2012 and 2013, the actuary took the opportunity to point out, that at the end of 2013, the NIS in Barbados WAS NOT ABLE TO COVER TOTAL EXPENDITURE (i.e benefit expenditure + administrative expenses) from its contribution income.


  31. @ Walter
    Skipper, after starting to read those CAHILL agreements …..which are all signed by this joker Stinkliar, perhaps we need to be thankful to people like Justin that these jackasses have not ALREADY extracted 100% of the NIS funds and handed all over to their white friends.

    Bushie tried to tell you that we may in fact be lucky to actually have a few thinking persons in position to at least save a little something for black Bajans….
    CLEARLY this DLP government is hell-bent on giving away as much as they can in the time they are allowed, to as many crooked friends as they possibly can…non-lepers AND albinos.

    At least they may still be enough left – thanks to people like Justin, for us to start over again like we did after emancipation…. once we can rid ourselves of these BLP/DLP political JAs…

  32. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    Justin Robinson November 2, 2015 at 11:49 AM #
    “The NIS is very open about the fact that 75% of its portfolio is in government of barbados .. securities….. Therefore if at some point the government of barbados is unable to meet its debt obligations the NIS would be severely impacted.”

    Justin, by this statement, you have correctly identified the biggest threat to the stability of the NIS.

    Governments all over the world borrow from their social security programmes. Nothing unusual about that. Some governments can do that without any cause for concern because they still have the power to raise taxes and collect the revenue needed from their citizens to repay the debt to social security.

    The government of Barbados, according to the international lending agencies and their imposed credit rating downgrades, is not in that position. In fact, our government is at risk of defaulting on its debts. It has little taxing power left. We have already seen evidence, and read of enough instances which clearly suggest that the government is finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet.

    We have seen that the NIS, by the end of 2013, did not collect enough contributions to cover its expenditure. Therefore, the scheme has already reached the stage where it is forced to rely on, and eat into, its investment income. Since the NIS has already invested over 70% of its funds in government paper, who do you think must now provide the bulk of that investment income? The government of Barbados, of course. And where, pray tell, is the government of Barbados going to get this money from?

    At this point, Jepter Ince should begin to understand the nonsense he was talking when he was trying to convince Barbadians on “Tell it like it is” back in 2009 that Government’s decision to borrow NIS funds, at a rate of 6%, to build government buildings was a good thing. Promises of 6%, 8%, 10% are merely promises and words. Translating these promises into hard currency now to pay NIS investment income, in its hour of need, is going to be a massive problem.

  33. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    David November 2, 2015 at 8:55 PM #
    “75% holding of government paper in good times/boom is one thing, if the balance sheet of government has deteriorated should the risk managers make an adjustment to the investment mix?”

    David,
    From a practical standpoint, there are no “risk managers” to make any adjustment to the investment mix?
    Let me explain the situation to you in simple terms.

    The NIS collected $400 in year 1. Government borrowed and spent $300 out of it, at a rate of 10% per annum. At the end of the year, part of the NIS income statement will say: investment income from government = $30, but government has not paid one cent.

    The only way the investment mix can change is if the next year, the NIS collects another $400 and decides not to lend it to government. But that is not practical, because as soon as the MOF calls and finds out $400 have come in, he is going to force the NIS Board to lend government $300 out of it. And so on it goes, administration after administration. There is nothing the Chairman of the Board, or your so-called risk managers can do about it.

  34. `Walter Blackman Avatar

    Bush Tea November 2, 2015 at 11:41 PM #
    “@ Walter
    Skipper, after starting to read those CAHILL agreements …..which are all signed by this joker Stinkliar, perhaps we need to be thankful to people like Justin that these jackasses have not ALREADY extracted 100% of the NIS funds and handed all over to their white friends.”

    Bush Tea,
    Perhaps it might be better for me to leave it to Justin to tell you if “these jackasses” wanted to extract 100% of the NIS funds, whether or not he could stop them, and how he would go about doing so. Or if it was him who stopped them at 75%.

    As you would say, “oh shirt..”

    LOL


  35. Barbados NEEDS you …and people like you Walter…..
    else – bout here gone….


  36. @ Bush Tea
    Barbados don’t need Walter , why should we ask him to fight for us ? we need to stand up as one people and stop this ugly PM and his mindless Ministers who are curse, before bout here gone


  37. What did we expect when we allowed a thief like DT, a poor Lawyer FS and poor ass Ministers to get their hand on the peoples NIS money ,you want the CIA/FBI to say we got thief in Government when we know it , the problem is the good people can not getup , we need to getup in order to standup


  38. @ Watchman
    “…we need to stand up as one people…”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Who is this ‘we’ bosie? …and which ‘one people’ is that?

    Wait … you managed to get that watercourse in Holetown unblocked yet?
    Wuh you should know how hard it is to get Bajans to ‘stand up as one people’…
    …you ever see brass bowls standing up as ‘one people’ yet?

    Brass Bowls NEED a strong champion to polish them, to lead them and to inspire them. ….otherwise they just lie around getting pissed on… and convincing themselves that they like the taste…


  39. @ Bush Tea

    The person at the suffering end of that watercourse situation have already made up his mind to go out side the box and hold the persons responsible for the unjust, if any more damaged is done to his home, they must prayer like he that nothing happen ,


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