NIS Town Hall – The Golden Chip

Today is the scheduled NIS Town Hall for a concerned public to share feedback to the revelation our National Insurance Fund (NIF) needs another lifeline. In recent days the buzz is a concern the eligibility age for NIS pension will be extended to 72 years old.

The blogmaster is willing to bet Prime Minister Mottley being the political animal she is anticipated that NIS reform currently being contemplated will significantly deflate her popularity, she needs the time to implement reform and win back favour BEFORE the next general election, the perfect political gamble. Especially if she is serious about demitting office at that time. Therefore one of the reasons for an early general election call.

Follow the NIS town hall at Combermere School, Waterford at 6PM.

413 thoughts on “NIS Town Hall – The Golden Chip


  1. Now if ya can get them to ANALYZE the criminals they got in the parliament and minority crimunity….and offer up solutions for all the crimes committed AGAINST THEM, pursue the crooks to repay all that was STOLEN …..as they are so EXPERT at unraveling what goes on in US, have all types of solutions for that…. and what they think should happen without living there…..but seemingly CANNOT OPEN their mouths to deal with what is going on in Barbados or come to the conclusion that their politicians SHOULD ALL BE IN PRISON…

    if only they could get to THAT PLACE……they may stand a chance of not being ROBBED AGAIN…by parliament THIEVES…and LIARS…in their own little hole..


  2. “The Accountant General had also explained that the Treasury Department’s inability to access Death Register information was part of the problem.”
    BU always provides a good morning chuckle.
    And ‘we’ like to give the operators a pass. How de RH?


  3. I am trying to get my mind around a change from 67 to 70 years.

    I am no actuary but I wonder if this is not kicking the can three years down the road.

    My analysis is rather simple.
    People should would come knocking in 2033, 2034, and 2035 will come knocking in 36, 37 and 38. What would hit the fan in 35 hits the fan in 38.

    So if Ali Mottley and her 30 are out in 2032, then the crisis in 38 will have some talking of the lost six years.

    Let me see what else was proposed. Can we stop the sky from falling?
    https://youtu.be/oa2o0uageb0


  4. “And ‘we’ like to give the operators a pass. How de RH?”

    Northern….some years ago a relative of mine was in school offshore and needed this document…had to go to the registry….you would not believe the HELL THEY GAVE ME…..

    i simply asked them….why WAS THE REGISTRY not CONNECTED to the other departments making access to certain information MUCH EASIER….

    ..a one-stop operation that does not require waiting in line for 4 HOURS or returning 2 and 3 weeks later….there is internet connectivity so WHAT’S THE DAMN PROBLEM..

    they all looked at me like i was from Mars…..and of course ya will hear…dah is how we does do tings…and if you doan like um……cahn come bout here and change nutten….

    backward, ignorant and non-progressive….but the best schooled in the Caribbean…


  5. How can you NOT CONCEIVE of better, different or more manageable, easily accessible….these are basic requirements to institute PROGRESS…….


  6. “The meetings are not about getting ideas from the public, it is about socializing the issues to prepare for what has already been decided. We have to be more discerning.”

    I admire your desire for want us to be accurate in what we say. Perhaps we do not write for the same purpose/audience.


  7. “Perhaps we do not write for the same purpose/audience.”

    keep telling them no one is trying to convince them of anything, the messages and warnings have a SPECIFIC target audience….who know who they are, have received such for YEARS, understand all of it, as they were meant to, and have already worked on their transition…


  8. I clearly saw in the newpapers that ideas are BEING SOUGHT from the public……

    i won’t give them the TIME OF DAY…


  9. TheO

    David is writibg the trurh and u propaganda?

    The meeting are political
    You Think those “ big” Boyd reslly need advice from the general public ?

    @. Artax

    My bad. It sinked In later


    • @John2

      The blogmaster has seen this political manipulation of public opinion before. We are too gullible a people.


  10. Where is the article wher the age is to moved from 65 to 67 ?

    You maybe missing something (deliberately?)
    Remember the over 60 that Were forces to retiré ?


  11. “The meeting are political
    You Think those “ big” Boyd reslly need advice from the general public ?”

    since they have ALL THE ANSWERS why are they IN THE HOLE for a BILLION DOLLARS OR MORE….from about EVERY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT….that utilizes that amount…

    the meetings should be to TELL THE PUBLIC WHERE the MONEY GONE….and WHEN will it be RETURNED…

    accountability is not a word to use ONLY WHEN YA WANT TO BLAME THE PUBLIC for not holding lying corrupt politicians accountable…


  12. Theo…don’t blink or ya will see comments that justify why the people SHOULD NOT KNOW….what they did with all those billions…..and shortly after that will see comments saying the PEOPLE HAVE NO RIGHT TO KNOW ….because it int none of their business….

    i have seen this replay so many times before..


  13. “question, who are the people that has to pay back this money, is it the poor man?, when will the police be called in to collect all the other billions that is not accounted for?”

    this is what the people want to KNOW about THEIR MONEY..


  14. @J2
    ‘Where is the article where the age is to move from 65 to 67 ?”

    You have made my point.
    I am quite certain that you saw mention of an increase in age. Here you would want me to write the age up to 4 decimal places (64.9375), but I am interested in the change from just one number to another. That level of accuracy is not needed.

    “The blogmaster has seen this political manipulation of public opinion before.”

    Correction
    The blogmaster has seen/ attempted this political manipulation of public opinion before. He brought the hammer on our leading and most focused political pundit, and then distracted us with a Trump article. Even the ‘tek dung’ guy is going easy on him because of that article.


  15. dey int got me to use as a distraction no more and one less person on the site to bully, so they are seen very clearly in ALL THEIR GLORY…


  16. TheO

    No i do not want u to do anything with the age . I thought u had Seen an article that had moved it 65 to 67 or that could have passed as a concrete proposal .
    That why told u that u May be missing something…………..

    The gov workers w’er forced to retiré at 60
    David ellis ( private sector) had to retiré at 60

    I am now 100% sure what it is that You missing – someone pointed it out before .


  17. Who to blame, politicians, public servants, both? Around and around we go, NIS now BRA.


    BRA’s systems beset by tech problems

    The Barbados Revenue Authority’s (BRA) electronic tax systems have been plagued with technological problems.
    This left the Government agency unsure about the reliability of estimated millions of dollars in refunds and receivables due to and from taxpayers, says BRA revenue commissioner Louisa Lewis-Ward in response to several concerns raised by Auditor General Leigh Trotman.
    He had flagged several issues in his 2021 report related to monies due to the BRA and amounts it had to refund taxpayers. This was after he conducted an audit of the BRA for the financial year ended March 31, 2021.
    He raised questions about $567 million in “other receivables” representing amounts due from the Treasury to honour outstanding tax refunds and to cover the financial charges associated with banking transactions, $316 million for income tax and $419 million for corporation tax representing receivables prior to 2013, and about $47 million in corporation tax penalties and interest due.
    However, in written responses submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Lewis-Ward said the Barbados Audit Office was aware of the technological challenges facing the BRA.
    She said the organisation’s legacy systems, including ETAX and VETAS, “were plagued with technological challenges [and] as a result, limited reliance is placed on these systems’ balances unless they are verified at the individual level”.
    BRA introduce its new Tax Administration Management Information System (TAMIS) in 2018 to replace ETAX and VETAS systems and “provide an integrated platform”.
    The revenue commissioner said, however, that “TAMIS balances are also in question as a result of the various systems errors and adjustments made during the various filing periods”.
    Responding to the Auditor General’s concerns about the $567 million related to outstanding tax refunds and financial charges associated with banking transactions, Lewis-Ward said internal project teams “were established to review and verify all legacy systems balances with a view to arriving at a reliable estimate of refunds and receivables due to and due from taxpayers.
    “The team is performing an ongoing review of the individual balances with a view to confirming the amounts due to taxpayers. The amounts referred to are related to refunds payable which is also recorded on the statement of financial position,” she said.
    Lewis-Ward said the team’s verification of the outstanding refunds was completed in March and “the necessary adjustment will be made to the financial statement for the fiscal period ended March 2023”.
    Regarding the Auditor General’s reported inability to verify the accuracy of $47 million in corporation tax due, the BRA response stated: “As indicated in prior years to the Barbados Audit Office, the balances in respect of penalties and interest recorded in ETAX and TAMIS are subject to technological issues and this may render them inaccurate unless reviewed on a case by case basis. As such, we found it prudent not to accrue the penalties and interest of $46 991 044.”
    Another concern of Trotman was that interest and penalties related to personal
    income tax accounts for the tax period 2018 were not recorded.
    “This is noted. Numerous extensions of filing deadlines in the past (at the behest of the Ministry of Finance) have resulted in numerous changes to the on/off status of the penalties and interest function within TAMIS. The TAMIS System was switched off in 2019 to address the incorrect application of penalties and interest to taxpayer accounts,” Lewis-Ward explained.
    “The Authority has written to the Ministry of Finance identifying the issues which have arisen, and a request has been made to write off penalties and interest with a view to cleaning up the TAMIS System. The penalties and interest function has been reinstated and applicable charges are currently being applied to taxpayer accounts.”
    She said it was proposed that the ETAX and VETAS systems be retired, adding that “discussions are ongoing to determine a systems replacement for TAMIS”. (SC)

    Source: Nation


  18. “The blogmaster has seen this political manipulation of public opinion before. We are too gullible a people.”

    ++++++++
    Lol. What the brass bowl!!!

    Oh the irony!!!


  19. It seems to bother us MUCH more, that the USA/Europe is about to sink into catastrophic chaos, than that Barbados is actually preceding them to that destination.
    ++++++

    Stop being a drama queen BT. Stop throwing shade. You trying to mek de gubbamint look bad or wha?

    BU is definitely a microcosm of the general psyche on the 2×3. A bunch of unthinking sheep.


  20. This give a good description of who is to blame civil servant or politicians
    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/20/tighten-nis-controls/

    From BT
    Barbadian Anthony Barrow took to the floor and expressed his concern at the way current and previous governments used the scheme’s savings for capital projects and other ventures which ran counter to the purpose of the scheme.

    He suggested that tighter control mechanisms should be implemented going forward.

    “How much power and control do you have if a Minister of Finance, if a government decides, ‘I want this amount of money from here’… It might be good for them at the time, but down the road you are depleting a fund which is really the people’s money.

    “So I believe that controls need to be put in place for a fund like this that a politician cannot just wake up one morning and decide that we need some money to carry out a project, and this is where we need to turn,” he said
    [quote]

    And apologists are found everywhere, even outside of BU
    From BT
    “Deputy Chairman of the scheme, Rawdon Adams, however quickly responded and stressed that the troubles NIS were currently facing had nothing to do with interference, but rather a depleted workforce and in turn, contributors.

    “The fund has returned a steady six per cent on average since inception, but this growing difference between retirees and the benefits that they are paid, and the financing by the working population is what is pulling the fund down.”

    Note to self” Each time you mention Rawdon Adam or KK it twists somebody knickers. Will this pre-emptive strike keep their knickers straight. Watch it.
    (A ploy of the great Hal Austin (who did not know what ‘have the last word’ meant) was to sneak in the last word after some time had passed).


  21. You probably should not read what I write, for I am a lightweight on these matters.

    But being a lightweight has an advantage, it allows me to recognize lightweight solutions as soon as I see them floated out by others. When a government first response is to throw out all of the lightweight solutions to the public and ask for ideas then you know that we are in real trouble.

    These invitations to town hall, zoom are other meetings are really an invitation to come closer to the fan after the shit has already hit it. They next step will be to point it fingers at all of us and say “you are not so clean’, you have shit on you”. These braniacs don’t want their ideas, the want to blame you for thing falling apart.

    It is quite possible that a combination of these lightweight answers may actually save solve the problem
    Raise the age to 80
    Increase the deductions to a mandatory 80%
    Import 80,000 new subjects.
    but at this time, I believe that our government is just swiping blindly. Clueless and no solutions.

    But as I said, I am a lightweight. Go listen to your heavyweight but I have informed you that “they are punching well below their weight”


  22. I told you I was overwhelmed when reading Barbadostoday one evening.

    Suddenly money that disappeared started to magically appear. Six million went missing one day and six million appeared the next day. Unlike some of you who live on conspiracy theories, I believe this missing money would have been put to good use. This phantom six million would have helped paid for the phantom vaccines.

    You go, Mia.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/20/missing-millions-located/


  23. Adhering to the blogmaster suggestion of sticking to the poic.
    —xxx—
    Mia bowls one ball and take two wickets. Possibly the greatest bowler never to play for WI team.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/20/government-to-set-up-audit-department/

    From BT
    ““Provision was made, with the passing of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019, for the establishment of an Internal Audit Department that would enhance transparency, accountability and good governance with respect to the utilisation of the people of Barbados’ resources.”

    Mia has done the double here by appearing to embrace the work of the AG and at the same time sticking a knife in his back. Our guy Ronnie Obama dissected this ‘wicked’ promise, but i feel that he did not take it as far as he should as he would be accused of playing politics. It is a sad thing when presenting hard cold facts can be described as playing politics.

    Mia found a clever way to further castrate our AG by creating what I consider will be a fraudulent competing Audit department and at the same time not giving the AG the resources that he needs. This agency will either be a rubber stamp or almost inactive.

    Its one statement will be ” The AG is wrong. We looked at that and there were no issues”. Then we will have Lorenzo saying “see what I told you, the AG is a secret D”


  24. Bare lies . I was talking to somebody who lives on the rock and they said the garbage is collected everyday on time. This is just doom and gloom from people who don’t live ‘ bout dey’ and who want to pull down Mottley government. Wuh de hell dey know ‘ bout buses and garbage.
    A bundle of conspiracy theories trying to impress their clique.
    There isn’t one problem with the trucks either. Dem trucks work perfectly.
    Carry wunnuh gloom and doom somewhere else ; furthermore people up in Englan’ and Amurca freezing yo death from the cold and dey garbage don’ even get collect.
    Damn liars.
    Look , I gone !


  25. I was going to leave and leave this alone, but it provides an opportunity to give a lesson.
    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/20/four-seasons-loan-guarantee-not-properly-appropriated/

    Gather around me, boys and girls.
    This illustrates the problem of having rubber stamps or yes men. A nod or a whisper is seen as a call to immediate action by the yes men. The rubber stamp is applied and tasks are completed as processes and systems are bypassed.

    Now we reach the action part of the lesson.
    Repeat after me .. No! NO! NO! HELL NO! I AM GOING TO DO IT CORRECTLY.


  26. @TheoG
    Suddenly money that disappeared started to magically appear. Six million went missing one day and six million appeared the next day.
    +++++++++
    Is the revelation by Carrington a swipe at the AG? “Enuff” couldn’t have scripted it better imagine the AG wrote about missing millions and presto they turned up elsewhere almost as if the AG only looked at one area of the operation.

    BTW tek it easy on Lorenzo he is BU’s maguffy, he campaigned against HA and he campaigned against AC, now they are sitting in limbo.


    • @Sargeant

      It is a pity you didn’t chime in when the two you mentioned were abusive to the blogmaster. Honesty is the best policy you should have been thought.


  27. “Wuh de hell dey know ‘ bout buses and garbage.
    A bundle of conspiracy theories trying to impress their clique.
    There isn’t one problem with the trucks either. Dem trucks work perfectly.”

    Lorenza the LIAR>>.

    “They next step will be to point it fingers at all of us and say “you are not so clean’, you have shit on you”. These braniacs don’t want their ideas, the want to blame you for thing falling apart.”

    another set up by generational crooks….. 100-year-old modus…


  28. BTW tek it easy on Lorenzo he is BU’s maguffy, he campaigned against HA and he campaigned against AC, now they are sitting in limbo.

    +++++++++++++

    Maybe it is because:
    “The blogmaster has seen political manipulation of public opinion before. [And needs to protect the public since] we are too gullible a people”

    Lol. Murdah. Bare laff n sport in de rum shop man.


  29. Oh Lawd.
    The blogmaster nearly gimmuh a stroke
    3 years ago- 2051
    Today – 2036
    2028-2028
    I see why Mia had such a quick and unneeded election. She gets in her two terms and leaves before the fan gets overwhelmed with dirty stuff. The regular schedule 18-23, 23-28 would have been messy, but here she give herself one year to escape and the DLP gets the blame.
    To the DLP, a next 30-0 may be a blessing.

    –xx–
    The brains of that woman. Deliciously wicked. I have a weakness for smart women.
    By now, you should have figured out that I think I am clever, but I admit that I am four steps behind Mia.
    What brains. Hot, hot, hot …


  30. I think the blogmaster is trolling me.
    Every time I go to leave, he throws in some chum
    And like the fool I am, I bite.

    Oops… this is Theo Jnr. I told that silly old man to post whatever he writes. Now some of you would believe that I am Theo.


  31. “Lotta shite!” I am not at all bothered that the colonists and co. are getting a taste of the hell they create for others EXCEPT INSOFARAS IT MAY AFFECT US AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF THE DIASPORA and the few white people who have been by our side calling for justice.

    I have seen NOBODY on BU who could HONESTLY be described as falling into the category of those suffering from any Stockholm Syndrome.

    NOBODY has expressed sympathy. Some of us have simply TAKEN NOTE AND HIGHLIGHTED the occurrences.

    With many rivers and water sources dried up, food production is being affected. Depending on food imports is indeed brassbowlery.

    But…we have a woman up here claiming she cannot get her crops sold because of cheap imports. I would ask her to hold tight. Soon come.

    It certainly seems that the perfect storm is brewing for planet earth and its inhabitants.

    We shall see what we shall see!

    “Hard ears yuh wun hear……..”

    De Country Cunt could live rough. After all, she is a country girl.


  32. @ David
    Can you please translate what the CAA lady has said? (minus the cliché)

    Then could you suggest what you think her intended message is … (that led you to post it)

    Finally, does the disclosure at the bottom mean that she is a mock president?
    Presidents speak for the ORGANIZATION… not to ‘reflect the views of all the members’.


    • @Bush Tea

      She is the head of the Caribbean chapter of actuaries. She obviously represents the views of the collective. In the blogmaster’s opinion she checks a box having issued the fluff statement.


  33. Thanks Boss.

    Sounds more like they are embarrassed to have said absolutely nothing so far, on such a topical subject that should be central to their area of expertise, and now find themselves having to say something – even while still having nothing of value to say…
    She actually did quite a good job too.

    …just that Bushie is allergic to bovine doo doo. 🙂

    Any bets that the supreme leader has her eyes on this potential politician…?


    • @Bush Tea

      Probably the case, do not forget all the social security schemes are at various stages of benefits paid outstripping contributions.


  34. @ David
    What social security scheme what??!! …the usual scheme…

    Boss, a defined benefits scheme, planned to be paid for by FUTURE contributors was an obvious exercise in idiocy from the get go.
    It is typical brassbowlery – constructed on the FLAWED idea of everlasting economic growth.

    Lotta shiite…
    Should have been based on defined contributions….
    By the sweat of a man’s brow should he eat bread, and the more he sweats when able, the more bread should he have available when he is no longer able to sweat…


  35. Sargeant

    “Is the revelation by Carrington a swipe at the AG? “Enuff” couldn’t have scripted it better imagine the AG wrote about missing millions and presto they turned up elsewhere almost as if the AG only looked at one area of the operation.”

    Me? I am not petty but I understand how hard it is to capitulate


  36. NIS boards taken to task
    FORMER HEAD of the Barbados Private Sector Association, Charles Herbert, says current and past boards of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) must be blamed for the state of affairs within the fund, whose viability has become of major national concern.
    Herbert, a retired actuary, charged there was a lack of confidence in the way the NIS was being managed, and until this is rectified, selfemployed people will remain apprehensive to contribute to the fund.
    He pointed out that the writing has been on the wall for years and therefore the board of the NIS must be called to account for what he deemed a failure to take action.
    “This is being presented as a tsunami that is affecting Barbados, but the truth is that this has been a very slow tsunami. There are many of us who have been raising these concerns for multiple years and we have been kicking the can down the road for a long time . . . . Unless we regain confidence in the fund, we will never get self-employed people to contribute,” said Herbert, who was a panellist on a virtual discussion hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados on Tuesday entitled NIS – The Way Forward.’ ‘Lack of confidence’
    Pulling no punches, he continued: “We have had a board at the NIS who don’t have to wait on a threeyear actuary report . . . . They did not notice the projections over the years? Where was the board of the National Insurance?
    I know you can’t hold the current board responsible for the previous one, but a lot of the current board have been there for the last five years . . . . They did not know that restructuring had taken a billion dollars out of the fund? So there is no pass for the board of the National Insurance, I am sorry. There are going to be no new contributors until they feel they have a board that is going to be held accountable.”
    Principal consultant for SAMDOR Services Ltd, Gregory Hinkson, said a check of the successive actuarial reports leading up to the now worrying 17th actuary report, will reveal that the NIS has been falling short of its projections for some time.
    “We saw this coming down the road but unfortunately, we did not make any adjustment based on changes that were taking place. The 13th actuary report, which was done in 2008, essentially said that in 2020, the population would be 295 000 persons, but the 17th actuary report is saying that the population is 271 000. It was also projected in that 13th report that total expenditure would have exceeded contributions in 2022 but the 15th report stated that we actually breached that in 2014, so that is eight years earlier than we projected,” he explained.
    Herbert also took aim at non-contributory pensions, arguing that the attractiveness of this benefit ran counter to the goal of bringing more people under the fold of the NIS. It was back in 2018 that Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley raised the minimum non-contributory pensions from $155 per week to $225.
    “We cannot ignore the fact that the dramatic change to the non-contributory pension had an impact. I don’t really understand the rules for non-contributory pension . . . but I suspect that an attractive non-contributory pension gives the perhaps false impression to the self-employed that if they don’t contribute to National Insurance, they will still get a non-contributory pension, which is not a bad pension . . . .
    “If this is not true and there are rules to stop this from happening, then now is the time for the Government to speak up very clearly and explain that the non-contributory pension, no matter how many votes it attracts, will not be given to people who could have and should have contributed,” he said.
    (CLM)

    Source: Nation


  37. I am perhaps the only Bajan that has admitted that some stories/ideas are well beyond his grasp.
    Take this story for example, I think I get it, but with money leaking everywhere, projections of funds collapsing, government running around with cap in hand and at the same time urging us to put on our thinking caps, we cannot afford to be generous.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/27/justice-prevails/
    From BT
    “In addition to ordering payment of the allowances, Justice Griffith ruled that the pension and gratuity of the claimants who have retired will have to be adjusted upwards, while those who remain in the system will also have their salaries adjusted upwards from September 2022, by as much as $1 108.08.

    The court also ordered interest on all of the amounts due to the claimants at the rate of 2.5 per cent from December 8, 2014, when the case was filed, until June 30, 2022, and thereafter at the rate of 6 per cent per annum on the reducing balance until payment is completed.”

    Now I am not an actuary, lawyer, judge or banker anly only claim to being a “bread and butter/meat and potatoes” man, but could it be that the judge was being too generous here, There are probably some rules the judge is following, but following rules is not one of our strengths …
    A $500 more a month and 1.0% interest may have done the trick. We need to start counting/hoarding pennies.
    A reduction can be considered.

    Have you noticed that I am not back home yet, but providing ideas and saving pennies? I have already hit the trail and running.

    Let’s get back to heaven
    Theo in 2027

    (and the leadership slogan)

    2027, there is only one way to go
    Protect Barbados future with Ronnie O


  38. @Theo

    Well I got a slogan for you next elections also and it’s this.

    6 of one and half dozen of the other
    so who you vote for really don’t matter


  39. https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/08/31/get-on-board-with-boss-plus-urges-minister/
    I iz a man who follow de crowd” Wha wunnah doing? Leh me kno.
    From BT.
    The 2020 BOSS bonds and the 2022 BOSS Plus bonds are exempt from any restructuring that may take place at any time in the future, and if you listen to the experts from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, they will make it very clear that the circumstances which existed in 2018 in the first instance that led to a complete restructuring of Barbados’ international and domestic debt do not now exist, and therefore the notion of a domestic debt restructuring as was done in 2018 is an absolutely false narrative that does not exist in reality,” she said.


  40. I think I am up to date here, but just to be certai
    Calling on the clean-up man
    Mr Hants, is this NIS thing still being worked on?

The blogmaster dares you to join the discussion.