Finance minister urges modernisation, improved service delivery at NIS

Oct 07, 2025 News

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(Kaieteur News) – As the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) marked its 56th anniversary on Monday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, has urged the staff members to modernise the operations of the institution and enhance service delivery through the use of technology to reduce delays and inconvenience to clients.

Addressing the anniversary ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Dr Singh emphasised that the NIS plays a crucial role as the country’s main provider of post-retirement pensions and social security benefits, including medical provisions. He, however, noted that the institution must do more to improve its efficiency and the quality of services offered to citizens.

“This is a very important institution,” the minister stated. “We need more efficiency and citizen-friendly services, improved service quality. President Ali has emphasised that every available opportunity, it must almost be, simultaneously be a modern Guyana in terms of the quality of service that is provided to citizens, and the quality of citizen interaction with service providers. So, I want to ask the board and the management and the staff to think very seriously, because I intend to have this conversation with you about how service quality can be improved in a visible, tangible way that citizens can feel that we are being served better by this new NIS.”

Dr Singh encouraged the NIS to introduce concrete initiatives that eliminate long-standing frustrations faced by contributors and pensioners. Citing examples, he recalled that in the past, pensioners were required to join long lines monthly to collect their pension. “We now have the technology to deposit pensions directly into bank accounts,” he said, noting that of the 59,856 active pensioners, 20,586 currently receive payments through the banking system. He urged the NIS to actively promote this option so that more pensioners can benefit from convenient, direct payments.

The minister also highlighted the introduction of WhatsApp services, which allow clients to submit certificates and conduct other transactions virtually. He noted the establishment of an NIS call center in New Amsterdam, staffed by about 20 employees, that handles phone and WhatsApp queries. However, Dr Singh cautioned that such services must function effectively. “I don’t want to put it to the test and dial the WhatsApp number and discover that it is ringing out because we can tell citizens that we’re offering a WhatsApp line, and then when you dial the WhatsApp line, it goes unanswered. So, we need to make sure I’m appealing to you again but if we say that we are providing a WhatsApp service, we must actually be providing a WhatsApp service. We mustn’t be publishing some numbers. And when people dial these numbers, they can’t get through, because then they complain, and then they are right to complain,” he stressed.

Dr Singh called for the expansion of digital solutions, including online access to contribution statements, and reaffirmed the government’s zero-tolerance stance on poor customer service. “You are expected to provide good quality service to citizens. If you feel that you are not in a position to do so for whatever reason, please make way for others who are more willing and able to do so,” he said firmly.

Meanwhile, NIS General Manager, Ramesh Persaud, echoed the minister’s call for technological advancement and faster service delivery. He emphasised that the organisation must evolve with global digital trends. “Now we exist in an environment that almost all of you in this room are capable of going online to inquire of various types of information that you require. Now, as an organisation, we need to reach to that state whereby we are contributing to the movement of the ecosystem, rather than the ecosystem alone, shifting us out there. Now customer satisfaction from our beneficiary, we need to move to a future state whereby all of our transactions can be done online, whereby we can serve the public by self-service online. we want to be in a position whereby we to some extent, catch up to what the technology in the world is taking us, and also to leave that realm. We exist not to serve our friends, not to serve you know, certain members of society only. We exist to serve every member of society,” Persaud stated.

He noted that the New Amsterdam Call Center currently handles over 20 simultaneous calls, improving public interaction through both phone and WhatsApp channels. He added that the NIS has also implemented a second work shift, operating until 23:00hrs, dedicated to processing claims and reducing backlogs.

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• 56th anniversary, Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Ashni Singh, NIS

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