NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Some Bahamians have been left in a bind by the National Insurance Board (NIB) as the economic pinch of COVID-19 has tightened across the country.
Since March 2020, Bahamians received bi-weekly assistance from the government in the amount of $200. According to NIB’s website, the unemployment benefit was originally part of a 13-week program offered by the government.
A 41-year-old man who goes by the name of “Animal”, in an interview with Eyewitness News on Monday, said he has been out of work for a little under a year.
Due to the tourism industry being in limbo, he had to turn to odd jobs when government assistance was simply not enough.
“If you go to the grocery store, a small bag of grocery can run you into $40. Keep in mind you have to feed your children, you have to pay water bill, light bill, cable bill,” he said.
“So, what is $200 supposed to do? You have to remember people have their homes.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, NIB has given Bahamians a total of nearly $230 million in unemployment assistance, Public Service and National Insurance Minister Brensil Rolle said last week.
Much like Animal, other residents said they are grateful for the assistance provided regardless of the amount, but at times, NIB was not sufficient.
Derek Sands said he was fortunate enough to keep his job during the pandemic, but his sister fell into the arms of the state, which didn’t work out in her favor.
He said his sister’s employer had not paid NIB in a few months. In fact, for her, it took nearly up to eight months to receive any payments from NIB.
“So, that in itself a was a big disappointment,” Sands added.
“Working on a job and having salary deduction of paying NIB contribution and finding out that it wasn’t being paid or wasn’t up to date is very disturbing.”
This long-standing issue was addressed during Rolle’s contribution to the 2020/2021 budget debate in June, when he said only 40 percent of businesses make contributions on time.
Despite these challenges, another resident urged Bahamians to remain thankful as people all around the world are experiencing hardship due to the pandemic.
One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “Everywhere you go, or if you look at the news stateside and everywhere else, everyone is going to food banks.
“So, if [the government] is helping in that way, I think it’s good. People complain that it’s nothing much, but I still think, at the end of the day, we need to thank God.”
In a national address last Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis mentioned that additional funding was secured to extend the unemployment assistance programme, which had been extended to the end of January and later extended to the end of February.
However, officials have yet to confirm if the unemployment benefit will be continued through to the end of March.
Written by Eyewitness News Intern Devonté Hanna
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