NIS Pen-Shun Reform

With Pride on Tuesday evening ah put on me clothes and went to de NIS Panel Discussion “Pension Reform”. NIS is dear to my heart, ah believe it is de best Hope (presently) foh workers

who like my-self (hopefully) will live to ah ripe ole age. Ah look forward to de day when every citizen could become ah subscriber and s/he could show his/her NIS ID Card at ah Supermarket, Medical Clinic or way-ever and his/her get respect. Ah look forward at Graduation Ceremonies, when all Graduates upon receiving dey Certificate, would receive in addition, an NIS ID Card.
And ah look forward dat within one year s/he will have become gainfully employed and subscribing to de NIS.

Ah doh look forward to extending de Pen-shun age to 67. Wid de exception of professionals or self-employed, every fully qualified Subscriber at 60, who would have worked foh over 40 years, who would have met all de required payments, should automatically begin to receive Pen-shun.

It is unproductive to keep ah 60 year ole wuker on de job when ah 20 or 25 year ole candidate is in line waiting.

Ah look forward to next year January, when Justice will be given foh de second time, in fair-foh of all 600 Front Line workers (NIS Subscribers) and others who were made redundant, (dey loss dey wuk), foh refusing to take de aunty-COOVID 19 Vax-scene. Ah look forward to dem being reinstated, fully compensated and have dey NIS Subscription paid Ah look forward to Go-venom-mint returning de Agricultural Lands at Richmond Vale dat were taken from de 30 Farmers and given to de Sin-loose-her Co foh ah Quarry. Dey are potential NIS Subscribers.

And ah look forward to when every Farmer and Fisher-folk becomes an NIS Subscriber, so dat dey could be eligible foh benefits when dey sustain injuries leading to loss of income.

Ah look forward when de ULP Go-venom-mint issues an apology to every Street Vendor who was physically chased and prevented from plying dey lickle business on de side of de street in Kingstown. And NIS will issue dem wid an NIS Subscriber’s Card. Is nuff Ting ah looking forward to when de Tide Change.

DE MEETING

NIS had ah good meeting foh those of us who ain’t bright but willing to learn. Basically de panel was made-up of high level Carry-Beyond Experts including our own NIS Director Stewart Haynes. Dey all spoke of ah commonality among NIS in de region, seems we all in mid-cry-sis, some more dan some. In SVG we need to increase our subscribers numbers, and dis means more jobs. We have ah high unemployment sit-yuh-hear-shun, ah saw 19 % wid de youth unemployment much higher. Therein lies de NIS problem, No Wuk! No Salary! No NIS Subscription.

Hope ah not being buy-us but ah good contribution was made by panelist Mrs Judith Veira an Actuary Consultant (Vincy-Trinny) years in de business. Very practical lady, had one look at de audience and lamented de small number of de 35 year ole faces in attendance. Therein lies another NIS problem. Lie-Za says in SVG and even de Carry Beyond. Dey’s need foh ah NIS Culture.
Starting wid community meetings with House-to-house canvassing, more like ah Calm-Pain. NIS get yuh list of incentives and benefits together. And Go-venom-mint must get de employment figures moving up, create meaningful jobs foh dem youths. Dis non-cents in SVG way Road wuk is three fortnights ah year: Christmas, Carnival and de new school year must stop.

And finally ah look forward at Nah-shun-all Forums way “Opening Remarks” is what it says; “Opening Remarks” and not long drawn-out ah-dresses, even stealing de Guess Speakers’ thunder. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.