Georgetown’s Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has begun discussions with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) on the payment of the outstanding balance on workers’ contributions.
Acting Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick told Stabroek News a team from the NIS met with her, the Mayor, Ubraj Narine, and the Chairman of the City Finance Committee, Oscar Clarke.
She explained that several options for payment were suggested during the meeting but none was decided on and they will continue discussions at another date.
According to Jerrick, the council is also seeking an audience with the NIS Board.
The NIS had written to the council and requested a meeting to discuss payment options. A sum of $218,416,918 in workers’ contributions to the NIS is outstanding.
The Local Government Commission (LGC) had written to the Mayor and City Council requesting that it begin paying the workers’ deductions.
The LGC has asked the council to begin payments immediately and to submit a schedule of how it intends to pay the monies owed. The council was also asked to furnish the commission with a monthly update on the status of its payments to the NIS.
The council is currently up to date with NIS payments for this year.
Union representatives during the tenure of former Town Clerk Royston King had protested for monies deducted from salaries and wages to be paid to the NIS.
