NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister Myles Laroda said the National Insurance Board has received numerous complaints about the timeliness of benefits being paid, noting that the process was slowed due to the ongoing pandemic and the increased amount
“I think during the pandemic you would see the process slowed down considerably,” he said.
“Since we have come to office, we have increased the amount of doctors that are hearing industrial accidents. In the past, there was one.
“We have a chief medical officer and another officer.
“We have tribunals in place to hear matters that involve industrial accidents.”
In some instances, beneficiaries have waited for over a year.
Asked when they could expect to be paid, the minister said: “I don’t want to put a timeline, but it is a priority of myself, the chairman, and the executives of the National Insurance Board to show a gradual improvement, including reducing of timelines.
“I would have spoken to the chairman, the managing director, and executives of the board and voiced my concern about the complaints that I’ve been getting.
“And I got the assurances of the team that the National Insurance Board is working feverishly to put in steps to lessen the waiting time for these individuals.”
NIB contributions
Eyewitness News reported earlier this month that NIB prosecuted 340 companies and self-employed people in the last year for failing to pay NIB contributions.
Yesterday, the minister said the social safety agency was seeking to get a hold of the backlog of other matters and claims that dating back some years.
He said as NIB receives complaints it is prepared to “prosecute those individuals for whatever they are accused of doing”.
“They are put before the court and whatever funds that are outstanding to the individuals who put them there, NIB will seek to have those funds recovered,” the minister said.
“In particular, deductions that would have been made out of the employees’ salaries and not to and not paid into the National Insurance Board is actually not the possession of those companies or individuals.”
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