Dear Editor,
On January 11, 2024 I completed copies of a form sent to me by the National Insurance Scheme.
The form consisted of a formal application to be addressed to:
The General Manager
National Insurance Scheme
Brickdam & Winter Place
Georgetown
Guyana
The form required that I, “the applicant signatory, request of the General Manager to appoint my bank – Scotia Bank – to act as my Representative and to receive and give all receipt on my behalf for all sums of money which may become due, owing and payable to me by the NIS Board”.
A copy of the completed document was returned to the NIS and one sent to Scotiabank, Waterloo Street Branch.
I kept a copy for myself.
To date no acknowledgement of receipt has been heard from any of the parties. So I sent reminders to each by registered mail.
Bourda Post Office
Date: 19th April, 2024
Post Office Receipt – YY542088
General Manager
National Insurance Scheme
Date: 19th April, 2024
YY542089
General Manager
Scotia Bank
Waterloo Street
Date: 30th May, 2024
YY 542528
No form of recognition of any kind was received
I accordingly proceeded to forward the usual Life Certificate normally signed by my doctor, Dr. Leslie Persaud (Brickdam) to the General Manager, National Insurance Scheme on 28th June, 2024 by Registered Mail.
Again, in the absence of any response a friend and colleague arranged for me to speak to an NIS Representative by telephone, who assured me that:
The Agency had received no related, no completed form(s).
ii) no correspondence recently.
iii) it would forgive the missing Life Certificate
iv) the Voucher Book could not be delivered
v) I must collect at the Agency personally
There are two constraints to this caveat: i) I have no living relative in Guyana
ii) I am immobile at 93 years and cannot ambulate.
NIS appeared not disposed to visit and assist.
I have merely been sent fresh forms to complete.
In the meantime, I am yet to be in receipt of Pension – for how long??
Incidentally, in the milieu two representatives of Scotia Bank responded most solicitously to my enquiries.
But however everything remains static.
My time is running out much too quickly.
Yours faithfully,
E B John
