Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that as minister for the National Insurance Service (NIS) for over 16 years and as Prime Minister for almost 22 years, he has never called any NIS director and told them the government wants money from the NIS. “Absolutely not,” says Gonsalves.
It has been said over the years that the government requested monies from the NIS, among other things, to pay salaries. Gonsalves on Sunday rubbished those statements, labelling them as fanciful and fake news.
“I hear all these fanciful things—you’re dipping your hands in NIS money; it’s just what it is: fake news. The government would have bonds, and the NIS would buy bonds. The Port Authority buys government bonds. Port authorities in other countries buy our bonds because they are looking for a safe investment with reasonable returns.”
“I’m not going to say that our bonds are as safe as US Treasury bills because we don’t have a Fort Knox, but we have never defaulted.” “We have never defaulted on any loan.”
Gonsalves said on Sunday that at the top of the government’s agenda is the continued strength, sustainability, viability, and security of the NIS.
“Persons must not be afraid of the reforms. There are ways and means to ensure that people are adequately protected, but it cannot be right that some people can receive up to 127% of their salary as a pension while others only receive 53%.”
“I’m not saying it’s wrong in a legal sense; I’m just raising a moral issue and the issue of solidarity,” Gonsalves stated.
