Only 25 of 552 NIS employees not paid Nov. salary
- NIS Finance Comptroller
Guyana Chronicle
November 28, 2003
FINANCE Comptroller of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Mr. Hubert Thompson, has categorically denied a report in the media, which said that the majority of staff did not receive their November salaries. Instead, Thompson claims that only 25 out of a staff compliment of 552 were not paid.
In an invited comment to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Mr. Thompson stated that the staff members who did not receive salary for this month are persons who have outstanding advances owed.
Some staff members owe the scheme for outstanding advances since last May. According to GINA, one employee owes as much as $453,000 in advances to the NIS.
The standard operating financial procedure of the scheme is for employees who have received advances for official duties, to have these amounts cleared within seven days.
However, despite numerous requests by the Finance Department to have staff clear their outstanding advances, thousands of dollars remained outstanding.
Employees were again warned earlier this month about reconciling their accounts, which they again failed to do. As a result, the scheme took a decision to deduct sums owed by delinquent employees from their salaries. Mr. Thompson reiterated that it is a dishonest act for person/persons to collect money for official purposes and not settle accounts by providing necessary documentations.
NIS has since officially written all staff members, reminding them that advances needed to be cleared within seven days or amounts to be deducted from monthly salaries. (GINA).