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President, PPP Government must heed Hajji’s call for NIS to pay benefits to those being robbed
Dear Editor:
I would like to applaud Hajji Roshan Khan, a great admirer and supporter of the President, for his stirring plea to the President, Minister of Finance and the Government to fix lingering problems of poor people unable to get their NIS benefit payments. See “Open Letter to the President- NIS and the $10B,” KN, April 5, 2025).
Others such as prominent Attorney Cristopher Ram and I have written similar appeals to the President on this vexing NIS matter where our people continue to be robbed of their benefits because the Government refuses to take real action at NIS. So far, the President – a man with a kind heart and who cries at funerals, the Minister of Finance and Cabinet, are deaf to the cries of the people on this NIS matter. That’s not a working-class position, especially in this election season. The rigging party and dead meat party are also silent on this issue so NIS victims have no friends there. The PPP would not like it if someone mobilises the NIS victims to be deaf to the calls of the PPP to vote for them. I know a group is mobilising an NIS protest and I certainly would be in the picket line, as the Government has ignored the many letters we wrote. A caring Government does not wait for people to picket before solving problems. You govern justly as a first resort. The Government should know that people who highlight problems are not all haters. Civil society folks highlight problems which a wise government would reach out to solve, such as those holding protests for Freedom of Information.
The job of Government is to solve problems when people cry to them. If they don’t, you vote them out. The PPP has accomplished much and probably deserves re-election, but gets a big fat “F” grade on this matter of NIS having incomplete records, failing in their statutory duty, and using that as a basis to deny benefits to people who actually made enough contributions. It is in the Cabinet’s power to pay people such as my 91-year old cousin whom the NIS said has 740 contributions, but they are missing a year’s contribution. He will not take a one-time payout, as he knows he has made enough contributions to deserve a regular pension. But it seems the Government is bent on robbing the poor people of their benefits as they have appealed the Zainul case that Attorney Christopher Ram won. That poor man had records to show he worked but NIS refused his pension. He took them to court and the court ruled against NIS but to avoid paying this poor man waiting 14 years for his benefits, the NIS/Government side appealed. Shame on the Government! So right now he gets nothing. It would be nice for the PPP to explain on the campaign trail why an appeal was filed under their watch. The labour unions are also silent on this matter. One labour leader writes mostly to support PNC politics than on these real labour problems.
Here are some excerpts from Hajji Khan’s letter: “ill-treat our hardworking citizens,” “I do not understand why the N.I.S always seems hell-bent on making people’s lives miserable;” “The N.I.S gets richer because many in waiting, hoping and begging have died. It was always the opinion of the people of this country that the N.I.S was pressuring and delaying people, hoping they would just die;” “It would appear that the intention is not to give a pension but to give a one-off cash grant which, in my opinion, is still short of reality;” “Mrs. Umawattie Singh, a pavement vendor now very ill and in her twilight years, cries daily as she feels as though N.I.S deceived her;” “It would appear that the laws were created to emasculate, denigrate and destroy people. Your government, your cabinet definitely has the power to change this law, honourable ladies and gentlemen.”
I call on the President and Government, don’t shoot yourselves in the foot by your continued belligerence, recalcitrance, and heartlessness in solving this NIS problem of people being denied benefits due to the failures of NIS to do its statutory duty in maintaining proper records. You will not win the appeal. Justice Damone Younge gave a well-reasoned decision in the Zainul case. Mr. President, ignore those who are giving you bad advice, and do the right thing at NIS! Pay pensions to those missing a few contributions due to NIS having incomplete records.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Jailall
Civil Society Advocate
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