Employers urged to adhere to NIS compliance requirements

Employers have been called on “to get their houses in order” as it relates to compliance with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh made the call on Saturday, during an outreach facilitated by NIS at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara.

While speaking with the media, Dr. Singh noted that in accordance with government’s plan to improve and modernise every institution of state, focus is being placed on NIS, as it is primary source of health insurance and social security, and the only contributory pension for a majority of Guyanese.

The government, Minister Singh said, is currently working with NIS’ board of directors and management to improve its services, however many of the issues are as a result of non-compliance by some employers.

“My call to employers out there is to ensure that you get your houses in order, in relation to compliance with the law as it relates to NIS for your employees. There are certain particular categories of companies I won’t want to name them here, but there are certain categories of companies that have a lot of employees, that are notorious for either non-deduction or late payment to the NIS,” Dr. Singh said.

The senior finance minister is also urging employees to uplift their annual contribution statements from their employers, which is provided by NIS. 

“Please make sure that you uplift that statement, verify its accuracy and resolve any inaccuracies that you have detected as early as possible. Do not wait until you are age 60 or age 62, to come and resolve queries that arose when you were age 25 or age 30 because as time goes by it becomes harder to resolve older problems.”

Dr. Singh noted that late queries may also be challenging to solve when people do not have records such as pay slips, or some businesses may no longer be in operation.

NIS’   Public Relations Officer, Dianne Lewis-Baxter noted that the outreaches which are being held in various parts of the country will help solve many outstanding issues.

“We are seeking to address those persons who have challenges, reaching NIS maybe on a normal day-to-day basis, and those who have had long outstanding matters that they feel dissatisfied with after NIS would have made a decision, probably we went to tribunal and they are still not satisfied, they have the opportunity to come and have it reviewed again, by the Minister, the board of directors and of course the general manager is part of the team, as well,” Baxter said.

Services offered at the outreach include access to contribution records, replacement of NIS cards, issuing of compliance certificates, making contribution payments or encashing vouchers and updating information, among others.

Meanwhile, several persons who benefitted from the outreach expressed their appreciation for the initiative.

Resident, Krishnanan Arjun said, “Honourable minister Dr. Ashni Singh and the rest of the team that is here and they looking after NIS contributions, I’m satisfied…They promise me to look further into my problem, and to assist me.”

Mohamed Ramazan, another beneficiary of the outreach related, “I’m satisfied because meh contribution was 961 and now, I get 1400, so I satisfy with that and I glad the minister look into NIS and come because a lot of persons who get this complain and them don’t know who to go to.”