King urges entertainers, sports people to contribute to NIS

Government Senator John King is encouraging entertainers and sports people to take advantage of the “lifeline” thrown to them to contribute to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

He noted that historically, these groups of people have not actively paid contributions and, therefore, have not been able to benefit from NIS pensions. At their death, he added, their families have to be assisted with burial.

Speaking in the Upper Chamber on Wednesday on the National Insurance and Social Security (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2023, Senator King said: “This is so important and so crucial to the development of a wide set of people across this country who for many years have been, in so many ways, ostracised, intentionally or otherwise.

“On behalf of all those persons who might not have the opportunity to say it in here, I would like to take it upon myself and speak for them and say ‘thank you’.”

The former calypso king and Member of Parliament told the Senate that the change to the legislation to institute flexible payments for the self-employed is a “monumental” step which paves the way for construction workers and other labourers to be covered.

“Take advantage of this,” he urged the self-employed. “If you have the opportunity, as money comes in to pay what you can, you have the opportunity to do it online so that at the end, when it is time for you to get [payments]… you really can’t ask for anything better than that.”

The amendment was also supported by Senators Andrew Mallalieu and Lindell Nurse. 

Nurse said he was happy that self-employed people now had the flexibility to contribute and even build on their qualifying years with back payments. He encouraged them to get on board with the NIS and help to provide for their own retirement and pension planning to keep themselves out of poverty.

However, he raised some concerns about the new board having the “baggage” of the old unaudited accounts rather than being able to start out “on the right foot”.

In his contribution, Senator Mallalieu said self-employed people who do not contribute only have themselves to blame when they are not able to collect from the scheme.

The independent senator reiterated his view that employers who collect contributions on behalf of employees and withhold those payments from the NIS should be called to account.

He does not believe the fundamental problem of “the uncollected income from non-compliant employers” has been addressed in the new legislation.

“That money does not belong to the employer. It belongs to the employee and it was to go to the scheme. Any of those delinquent employers should be prosecuted,” he insisted. (SP)