The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE National Insurance Board paid out $263.6m in employment benefit and assistance between August 25, 2019 to May 18, 2021, according to Public Service Minister with responsibility for NIB Brensil Rolle.

Mr Rolle also revealed during his contribution to the budget debate yesterday that the government is starting a project to upgrade NIB cards so money can be sent directly to people’s accounts and accessed with the cards. Mr Rolle said the challenge of getting money to people on islands and cays struck by hurricanes illustrated the need for such a move.

“In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance for example, we’re talking to them about (the) sand dollar, applying funds to your card,” he said. “Very shortly it is our view, and our wish and our desire that there is going to come a day very, very shortly when you don’t have to go to NIB or go to the Sports Centre to pick up a cheque. We gonna send the money directly to your card and you determine exactly how you gonna spend it.

“Imagine how when we complete this card, how that’s going to impact the lives of ordinary Bahamians who need funds and are not within reach of an NIB office, or they’re in crisis, or they’re on the Family Islands. This concept is revolutionary, but I’ve been assured that the leadership of NIB has the ability to do it, they’re working on it and they will deliver for the government of The Bahamas.”

He said $15.6m was paid to Hurricane Dorian survivors, benefiting 4,392 people. Sixteen million was paid through the self-employed government funded unemployment assistance programme, benefiting 7,261 people. One hundred and thirty-four million was made through the government funded unemployment extension programme, benefiting 34,069 people. The National Insurance Unemployment benefit paid out $97.4m, benefiting 39,652 people.

Mr Rolle said despite historic challenges, “NIB stood the test of time.”

Nonetheless, Mr Rolle called on business owners and self-employed people to make their contributions.

“Those individuals who collect people’s National Insurance, deduct it out of their salaries but don’t immediately put it into National Insurance, that’s not right, that’s illegal, that’s criminal. “For those of you who don’t know, every single person in National Insurance now, every person who is working, has the ability to call National Insurance and see whether a contribution was made on their behalf.

“They can check and before now many did not check because they thought it was paid...and they find out later on that the boss didn’t put my money in and they call NIB and NIB say, ‘we don’t have any contributions on your behalf.’”