Leader of the Opposition and President of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Godwin Friday and other Members of Parliament and the NDP met, Tuesday, with senior executives of the National Insurance Services (NIS).
The meeting at the NIS building in Kingstown discussed, among things, the report of the 12th Actuarial Review of the National Insurance Fund, and agreed to have further meetings, the NDP said in a press statement.
Following introductory remarks by Chair of the NIS, Lennox Bowman, who welcomed Friday and his team, Executive Director of the NIS Stewart Haynes, presented an overview of the 12th Actuarial Review and responded to questions and comments from various members of the team.
Issues raised by the team included the impact of the increase in the pensionable age to 65 years; innovative programmes that the NIS might introduce to promote employment in SVG; broadening the base of contributors; the failure to implement the recommendation of the previous actuarial review to diversify the composition of the investment committee; and investments made by the NIS such as ownership of the former Ju-c Building in Kingstown and of lands in Bequia.
Further, Friday emphatically restated the NDP’s commitment to the success of the NIS, noting that it must always be affordable and provide adequate benefits to pensioners.
He also advocated that the pensionable age should not exceed 65 years and that the interests of pensioners should always come first in the management of the NIS.
Ar yo na cee ah young people ah dead these days ? thirties, forties , fifties early sixties, pray many ah we live fo 65. especially if we tek the clot jab. Pray, pray, pray..