President has let people down, government has blundered with appeal of NIS case

Jan 11, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Last year the president ordered the NIS to process all NIS backlog of cases by year end. This was seen by many as the president being a compassionate leader caring for poor victimized NIS pensioners. But now, the president’s government has filed an appeal against Judge Damone Younge’s decision in favour of a poor worker waiting 12 years for his NIS benefits. The Government has blundered. The president was badly advised. This makes him look like a hypocrite pretending to care about older workers not getting their benefits, but then sommersaulting when the Court ruling in favour of workers would have given the government the leverage it needs to right the wrongs committed by NIS.

The AG’s Office and the Ministry of Finance most likely would have had to discuss and agree to file an appeal of Judge Damone Young’s decision in favour of a poor, working class man. The AG and Finance Minister who appear to be angling to be the PPP’s presidential candidates in 2030 would have much explaining to do as to why would a government that claims to be for the working class appeal a case that would have helped poor sugar workers and similar workers victimized by the NIS over the years. Civil society activists such as Mr. Roshan Khan and Dr. Jailall had written much to highlight the plight of workers and the incompetence at the NIS. The Unions and Opposition must speak out now. Recently Shamshun Mohamed, Gerald A. Perreira, Faiyaz Alli, and others have castigated the NIS. As Roshan Khan has warned, the government risks alienating people that can cause them to lose two seats because of NIS problems. The reason offered by the AG that the Government appealed Judge Younge’s decision because that decision would open the floodgates for NIS to pay people their benefits is so pitiful for someone considered to be a smart man. The floodgates should have been opened long ago for NIS to pay people what is due to them. Instead, many have died and not received a cent from NIS which gave them the run around until they give up. So instead of having a floodgate of payments to people who deserve their benefits, it seems as if the Government wants to prevent people from being paid what is due to them. They open the floodgates for Exxon to rob us in every way but shut the gate for poor people to be paid NIS benefits due to them!

There was already a court ruling that NIS must still pay benefits if an employer collected NIS dues but did not turn them in, since that was not the fault of the employees. The government seems to be deflecting blame to employers only, when the real blame lies on successive governments under which an errant NIS failed to do their jobs in monitoring and ensuring that employees contributions are submitted in a timely manner. The president has let people down with this appeal, and trust is lost. Paying people their benefits is not what would bankrupt the NIS. The bad investments in CLICO and the Berbice Bridge is what has done it, plus corruption within the NIS, and a failed Finance Ministry unable to come up with creative ideas to revamp the NIS. Can the government make quick amends before elections in November 2025?

Sincerely,