Latest update March 27th, 2026 12:40 AM
NIS records 75,000 increase in active contributors
(Kaieteur News) – The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) has recorded an increase of more than 75,000 active contributors over the past five years.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh
This announcement was made by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, during the Scheme’s 56th anniversary celebrations. He noted that the NIS has shown steady growth in contributors, both employed and self-employed, mirroring the country’s economic development.
“For the greater part, this growth reflects the enabling dynamics in the Guyanese economy, and you can see this reflected in the numbers,” Dr Singh stated. He revealed that from August 2020 to August 2025, the number of active contributors rose by 75,000, which indicates that nearly 70,000 more persons are employed now compared to 2020.
“What this number reflects is consistency with that which has been determined by other administrative data that we have that more nearly 70,000 persons are working today, more than we’re working in August of 2020. Reflecting the growth and expansion in our economy, the expansion in private investment, they create the opening of new companies and new businesses and new enterprises, and the creation of more jobs,” the minister explained.
Providing a breakdown, Dr Singh said that when President Irfaan Ali assumed office in 2020, there were 184,928 active employed contributors to NIS. By August 2025, that number climbed to 253,489, representing an increase of 68,561 contributors, nearly 35 per cent growth over the five-year period.
Similarly, the number of self-employed contributors more than doubled. In August 2020, there were 6,210 active self-employed contributors, and by August 2025, that number rose to 13,288, marking an increase of over 113 per cent.
Dr Singh noted that this growth comes as no surprise given Guyana’s rapid economic expansion. “This is consistent with more persons engaging in self-employed activities, which we know statistically and anecdotally, we know that from observing what is happening in our society and in the economy, and so what we see reflected in the scheme is exactly what we would expect to see given the rapid expansion and growth that we’re seeing in the economy,” he said, adding that the government expects continued economic growth and further expansion of the NIS.
Meanwhile, NIS general manager Ramesh Persaud reported notable improvements in the processing of claims. “We have seen a significant reduction in outstanding claims. Five to six years ago, the average number of pending claims was around 15,000 per month; now, that number has dropped to under 2,000 claims spending per month,” Persaud stated.
He added that the NIS has increased its processing capacity from about 5,000 claims per month to over 20,000, ensuring that nearly 65,000 beneficiaries receive payments for pensions or claims. “Yes, there are many pending matters that are burdensome, and I think the government did an excellent job in inducing funding to facilitate closure of many matters that would need to be the one-off cash grant. And I think that has taken on a life of its own, and people are happy about bringing closures to those matters,” Persaud said.
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