NIS is staring down the barrel of a loaded gun

Aug 06, 2018 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I believe the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) is staring down the proverbial ‘barrel of a loaded gun’ and it will soon collapse most shamefully into irreversible bankruptcy unless there is urgent, combined action by multiple agencies to stop the sustained theft of contributions to the scheme.
The criminal practice of stealing NIS contributions is a poison that has penetrated deeply into every region of Guyana. It has grown into a monster that is now so huge that it is totally beyond the control of the weak, inefficient and ineffective enforcement arm of the NIS.
Year after year, the NIS put out a torrent of talk about going after defaulters and thieves. But for decades, NIS has proved that it lacks both the quantity and quality of personnel to go after these criminals, and its Management has not yet come up with any new, innovative strategies to offset this.
The simple fact is that NIS is incapable of dealing with this problem by itself. That is why it is important for Government to help NIS by activating all State agencies with the resources to help NIS to go after the criminals who are defrauding the scheme, such as the police fraud squad or even SARA or SOCU.
I do not hold the Government of the day responsible; this has been going on for decades across several administrations.
However, this Government has the opportunity to make its mark by giving NIS full State support as it takes the fight against those who are gouging out the funds.
NIS needs this level of Government support because it is not an ordinary public agency. It has enormous national importance as the sole provider of social security for citizens. If NIS goes bankrupt, citizen’s welfare will collapse, so Government has to ‘leave no stone unturned’ to protect the scheme.
It is imperative that Government amends laws or enacts new laws to strengthen the remittances and enforcement arms of NIS and introduce stiffer penalties that would be powerful deterrents to those who are currently defrauding the scheme or contemplating doing so.
I am calling for laws that allow NIS defaulters and defrauders to be prosecuted like drug traffickers. I want to see laws put in place that enable NIS to seize these criminals’ assets. Freeze their bank accounts and seize their houses, land, vehicles and other valuables as if they are cocaine dealers.
Harsh measures are necessary because this is a very serious matter. The entire country is in jeopardy. Countless citizens who faithfully paid the required contributions of their hard-earned dollars to NIS are in danger of losing all their social security benefits. If that happens, there will be hell to pay.
Theft from NIS has far-reaching, severe consequences. It cuts the scheme’s capacity to expand social security coverage and, even worse, stolen or short-paid contributions can reduce old-age, sickness, injury or maternity entitlements, or even disqualify persons from getting their rightful entitlements.
Stealing NIS contributions from contributors who are old, sick, injured or pregnant, can force them to endure financial and other hardships, such as being unable to afford the quality of medical treatment they need, and in some cases, people can lose their lives.
To me, depriving people of NIS benefits that could help them deal with life-threatening emergencies is like committing attempted murder. Therefore, in my opinion, we must treat defrauding NIS with equal seriousness as attempted murder under the law.
I have written many letters warning about this grave danger, but to no avail. I have given facts about persons known to me who are defrauding NIS; I have given the public information, without violating the libel laws, that can help to identify these vagabonds, but to no avail.
Part of the problem is that our inadequate laws concerning NIS do not allow those bandits who defraud the scheme to be treated like the hard-core criminals that they are. There are all sorts of concessions to help NIS criminals wriggle out of trouble, and lots of ‘red tape’ to block those trying to expose them.
Once again I am warning the Government and people of Guyana that we cannot continue to sit down idly while rampant theft of NIS contributions goes on unchecked. For too long, theft of NIS funds has thrown the peace, stability and the economy of Guyana in jeopardy.
I have publicly blown the whistle on NIS thieves loud and long, and still they are going about their business with impunity. I cannot do it alone; all right-thinking citizens of Guyana have to get on board. If we have to push NIS or Government, we need to join forces in numbers to do so.
I call on all patriots who are fed up with the atrocious theft of NIS funds to raise their voices with mine to put pressure on the NIS Board and Government to enact proper legislation to get tough with NIS thieves who are destabilising social security, jeopardising the economy and endangering citizens’ lives.
While these laws are being created, I wish to recommend once again that these NIS thieves be charged criminally, even if it is a private criminal charge. At least a serious message will resonate throughout the country to big boys who feel protected that NIS means business.
Previous administrations and the current one were not serious about NIS receiving its remittances because many of their political supporters and contributors to their parties are involved in wanton theft of NIS contributions.
Corporations and private businesses have made it a career to raid the NIS fund. One security service, which the Guyana Revenue Authority had planned to dissolve, simply changed its name and is now being awarded large governmental contracts, even after stealing billions from that entity.
Another, operated by a fugitive from American justice facing narcotic charges in that country, is being awarded some of the largest Government security contracts in this country even though the company was named in the newspaper for not paying its workers’ NIS contributions.
These people are emboldened because they feel protected by certain people.
The head of one security service was criminally charged for trying to export narcotics in fish and is known to be wanted by the American Government for drug smuggling and drug dealing in the United States.
Just look at these persons I mentioned. It is clear to me that Governments have been protecting their friends, supporters and their families and the award of these contracts has been subject to some form of corruption, manipulation and deception.
I truly feel sorry for the Government of the day who has to carry the burdens of the past decades as they relate to NIS fraud and theft.
To the Government of Guyana, the Opposition of Guyana and the peoples of Guyana: We must save the NIS and prevent social chaos.
Sincerely,
Roshan Khan Snr.

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