The People of Barbados will be severely affected by the proposed changes to the National Insurance Scheme. They have noted that last March 2022, the Prime Minister stated that it was her intent to:
1. Make the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) a Statutory Corporation more independent from Government by the end of 2022.
2. Recapitalize the NIS.
3. Add a requirement to diversify investments both locally and abroad.
4. Ensure that when private projects SEEK PUBLIC SUPPORT, they give the NIS the choice to invest.
However, the People of Barbados not having been privy to any report on the consultations regarding the National Insurance scheme, not being provided information on the Actuarial Review of the Pension Fund, not having knowledge of the assets of the Scheme or how the tax payers monies are being spent or invested or government’s action to recover funds that are being owed; are now being faced with a Bill that has already passed in the House of Assembly without discussion when this Bill will have profound effects on the lives of the dwindling middle class and all of the persons from the lower echelons of society and Barbadians yet unborn. The Bill is now before the Senate the step before it becomes the law of the land.
The People have decided to take a stand. Our concerns are for:
1. Public engagement in a matter that profoundly alters the National Insurance scheme as it presently exists.
2. The conducting of a Social and Economic Impact Assessment on how such action will affect persons who currently live in Barbados as well as Barbadians who live abroad that have worked on the island and are due a pension.
3. All other options be explored to maintain the safety net of the people before the National Insurance Scheme is tampered with to the detriment of the people.
4. The impact on people who are currently eligible for a pension but with the proposed Bill, will not have enough contributions since the number of contributions will rise from 500 to 750.
5. That government bear the burden of proof to show evidence that their proposal in the form of a Bill has been a successful in another country and can therefore be a model adopted by Barbados.
6. That an island which currently has concerns about the level of productivity would even consider extending the retirement age of its workforce as this will undoubtedly lead to less productivity especially for manual, blue collar, construction and agricultural workers and a rise in physical and age-related illnesses.
7. The fact that many of our statutory corporations were established to relieve them of the administrative burden of the public service. While this makes sense in theory (1) we know that many statutory corporations have not been very good at producing financial statements to account for their operations (2) they are more politicized than the Civil Service since Governments will change the entire board and top management based on partisan political considerations rather than performance or ability. (3) Ministers with responsibility for statutory corporations are known to have refused to bring information about their operation to the Cabinet. There is nothing to suggest this will change.
8. That our pensions will be used to support/prop up private sector projects.
9. While diversifying investment sounds good, who will manage these investments? With no regard for the Auditor General how will we know that the money will not be going to family and friends? The people still are not provided with the transparency to know what happens to borrowed funds after they pass through the Estimates process so how can we trust what will happen to our NIS funds?
The time to act is now and based on the foregoing, we the People are demanding that:
1. The age of retirement to be at 65
2. Eligibility remains at 500 contributions
3. Politicians and citizens to be on par with respect to retirement age
4. More compliance officers be employed to ensure contributions are paid
5. Government pay back the money owed
6.Government identifies the leaks in the scheme and fix them
7. Government goes after defaulters
8. Regular audits are conducted
9. Systems are put in place whereby the government cannot use the funds
10. NIS be placed into the Central Government and not under the absolute control of the Minister
11. Systems are put in place to help microbusinesses file their contributions
12. That The National Insurance (Amendment) Bill & The Pensions (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill be withdrawn.
Northern, i see you still trying.
Since a heist seems imminent, wee should advise the talking machine…to make a list of all her loving adoring supporting imps, pimps, fowls and Slaves, there must be at least tens of thousand of them, and clean out their bank accounts leaving them $50 as goodwill…they wont mind seeing as they support any and everything…..once a politician does it, no matter how evil, corrupt and illegal…..but at least.that should fix the NIS deficit.
On another note….trouble is brewing on the continent of Afrika…i remember when war broke out in Ukraine, nuff of them on here took sides, though not fully understanding the whole dynamics…even whlle seeing how Afrikans are mistreated, some of the dumber ones from other areas wanted to go fight…so let’s see them gear up and go fight for their ancestors birthright and motherland which is theirs too: now that France still believe they can continue the centuries old oppression, suppression, exploitation and THEFTS of Afrikan birthrights.
Now we will know what they are truly made of…
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Heather Cole Facebook post
There is the likelihood that, at 57 years old, I will be severely affected by the Amendments to the NIS. I volunteer to be a Claimant or Appellant if needs be!
This cleverly written amendments done to make the NIS a state owned Agency OR its equivalent follows a pattern of governmental political actions aimed at the unhinging of Government Departments governed by Public Officers pursuant to the Public Service Act and its General Orders. This unconstitutional manoeuvring has not been met with a REDELEGATION OF POWERS TO THE MINISTER, nor a REDELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS BY THE (GOVERNOR GENERAL) or PRESIDENT TO OR FROM THE MINISTER.. These political actions automatically shifts power from the President to the Prime Minister! This political action leads to a breach of the separation of Powers under the Constitution, under an unconstitutional constutional amendment that gives the PM more power to govern than has been allotted to her under our Constitutionalism! And at the same time, abrogates the ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS made under our Westminster modelled Constitution. Hence corruption will set in!
Check Madame Justice the Hon. Lord Hale’s decision in R MILLER VS THE PRIME MINISTER!
This Amendment to the NIS denies the NIS worker the right to choose whether or not that worker wants to continue being employed under the Public Service or not. Such a clause can be found for example, under the Transport Authority Act, the Barbados Revenue Authority Act. That clause, which was constitutionally extended to the masses who were denied the right to choose. Our fundamental rights and freedoms under the NIS WILL BE VIOLATED FOR SURE!
Moreover, my guaranteed protection by Section 18 of the Constitution sets a PRECEDENT that prohibits the making and enforcement of RETROACTIVE LAWS in this country! Any law that impedes my right to a pension based on 500 contributions at age 60 is a RETROACTIVE LAW!
The behaviour of our Parliament has become a PRAESIDIUM!
Bajans Remember SECTION 5 OF THE BARBADOS INDENTITY MANAGEMENT ACT! THE THREAT TO YOUR RIGHTS TO VOTE OR TO RECEIVE SOCIAL SERVICES WITHOUT A NEW ID CARD! REMEMBER THE POLITICAL ACTION AND MINDSET OF OUR PARLIAMENTARIANS ! WE HAD ALSO BEEN DENIED TO VOTE FOR REPUBLICANISM BY THESE SAME PARLIAMENTARIANS!
I am also so disappointed in the present Chairman of the NIS for being a party to this apparent unconstitutional manoeuvring! Apparent because it hasn’t been signed into law YET!
Do we have a strong President who has the Constitutional power to WITHHOLD ASSENT?
I personally doubt!
But how can I have confidence in a Democratic Process when THERE WAS NO PARLIAMENT because there was a shortage of Senators and now THERE IS STILL NO PARLIAMENT because the President has not yet satisfied the requirements of the Constitution to choose an OPPOSITION LEADER from the persons She chose for the Senate who do not support the Government! Neglect in the performance of a duty which has denied the citizens of this country of FAIR AND FRANK DISCUSSION in OUR Parliament in this MATTER! HENCE THE VOTE ON THIS NIS AMENDMENT WILL ALSO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
I Pray that God will help us!
Good morning.
I Pray that God will help us!
Good morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don’t waste your prayers Boss.
Instead, check the numbers jumping and reveling on the streets last week compared to those in a church or reflecting on their purpose in life soberly.
This will tel you in whom we are trusting for ‘help’….
Source: Nation
Yolande Grant – African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2023. All Rights Reserved. August 10, 2023. @ 5:02 AM
Sent to REAL Pan Afrikanists on our Afrikan Continent.
The 11 or 12 Afrikan countries who have not yet realized that their doom and destruction has been organized/orchestrated and thoroughly directed by les voleurs France; but now have the extremely rare and golden opportunity to break those chains, get France out of Afrika permanently instead of fighting your Afrikan brothers and sisters to keep the oppression, exploitation and thefts alive while they arm rebel forces to destabilize and murder you.
They better grab the opportunity presented and run your main parasite off the continent, and let him take his super talking liar with him.
We watched as Barbados’ super talker fraud and France joined forces. They got so close and acted like a house on fire, and knew nothing good can come out of that for Afrikans. Everything these traitors in Barbados touch turns to doom, blight, curse and poison on our earth. That toxic and dangerous relationship would spell the final destruction of Afrikans.