NASSAU| Bahamas Press is sounding an alarm for – as Pindling would say – all the small people who cannot speak for themselves about their claims at the National Insurance Board!
Why is it taking years and months for the hundreds of sickness and benefit claims to be processed at the Board? A process which should only take three weeks!? WHY?!
Another question BP is asking is this: WHY is a near $20 million system not working and why is it taking this long to put the relevant and qualified persons in positions to rectify and correct this mess? WHY?
For one, many of the persons who knew the V3 system that processes claims have either resigned or were moved when Minnis and Brensil Rolle took over the Board! But today, 5 months in, with talent sitting all around, THE NIB BOARD decisions are slow when it comes to processing claims in a timely manner. Everything is currently manually done, when the electronic systems are designed to deliver a quit turn around.
According to BP sources, “Claims have to be processed manually first, and then data entered into the system. This came about as a result of a flaw in the system, which resulted in tremendous overpayments!
“Additionally, the Claims Department was out for awhile, due to mold in the Blake Road building and they had to find space back inside the Baillou Hill Road office for the staff. This means sick patients, some already dead, are still waiting on their claims to be processed!”
We know of a PUBLIC SERVANT who has had serious surgery more than ONE YEAR AGO and cannot collect a claim from NIB. And don’t ask us about the pensioners seeking to get their pension benefits after contributing for years – THEY, TOO, ARE ON A YEAR-LONG WAITING LIST! This is sad!
Right now NIB cannot produce identification cards for its clients, and no one can explain why this simple task cannot be performed! NIB is issuing letters to those clients who cannot get a new card! WHAT IS THIS?!
But, as if that wasn’t bad enough, NIB does not only have serious problems servicing its external customers, but has serious internal staff issues, with many disgruntled in an environment of low morale.
Many long standing employees at NIB were abused by the Board; deserving of promotions, while but being overlooked.
Many of the staff hired by Brensil Rolle (MANY OF HIS DUNCY RELATIVES) do not know how to use a computer, failed their entrance exams at the Board, and have yet to be trained on the V3 system (A $20 million system)! WHAT IS THIS?
BP also understands newly hired Inspectors at the Board have yet to hit the road and make assessments on the thousands of businesses and to examine contributions by these companies. Every month NIB is paying these inspectors’ salaries plus a $500 gas allowance to sit at their desks and look at the computer, which they have yet to be trained to use. MONTHS! LIKE WHAT IS THIS?
BP is aware of the fact that the NEW DAY Executive Board Members is tackling the issues. A few weeks ago, they fired the WEAK now-former-Managing Director whose incompetence allowed these many problems to fester.
NIB needs – URGENTLY – a New COMPETENT Managing Director, and we believe it also needs serious COMPETENT, QUALIFIED Assistant Directors with the Institutional Memory to take on the heavy lifting of the nation’s social security network.
We need – IF ANYONE STILL LISTENS TO BP – IMMEDIATE SURGERY AT NIB or we ga tell yinner now, if you believe the pandemic was a crisis, keep failing to address the GROWING CRISIS AT NIB!
We ga end this report as we started: Bahamas Press is sounding an alarm for – as Pindling would say – all the small people who cannot speak for themselves.
We ga report and let yinner decide!
