Granger wants social security safety net widen to support vulnerable groups

The increasing number of older, underemployed, unemployed and poor persons and the rising cost of living since the pandemic make it necessary to revamp the social security system. This opinion was expressed by former President David Granger on his weekly programme − the Public Interest.

Explaining that the social security system should protect individuals and households from adversity, he called for the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to be expanded to enable it to better serve citizens in cases of illness, invalidity, injury, maternity, old age and unemployment.

Mr. Granger cited UN, ILO and UNHRC conventions which define social security as ‘a basic human right.’ He referred, also, to the Constitution of Guyana which provides for “the right to free medical attention and to social care in case of old age and disability” and guarantees every public sector worker his or her ‘absolute and enforceable right’ to a pension or gratuity.

The former President felt that social security can have a powerful impact as an instrument for promoting social inclusion, reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth by sustaining standards of living, alleviating distress caused by structural and technological change and combatting discrimination.

There is, however, a pressing need to include persons who lack protection – particularly those in the informal economy who, often, are women in casual labour, house-keeping, self-employment or vending. In this regard, he called attention to the plight of unregistered or unqualified older persons who are obliged to rely only on their personal savings and State Old Age Pension (SOAP) – which, at $33,000 monthly, remains much lower than that in Barbados and Trinidad.

NIS, established in 1969, remains merely an old-age pension scheme with medical and sickness benefits that never evolved into a comprehensive ‘social security’ system. This underdevelopment was caused, in part, by the damage inflicted by the PPPC which, out of office, strangely but stupidly, urged its members not to support the NIS and, in office, ignored actuarial reports and plunged the NIS recklessly into disastrous investments in CLICO (Guyana) and the Berbice Bridge Company Inc.

The former President recommended the adoption of four UN social security guidelines to ensure accessibility, adequacy of benefits; affordability and availability.  Older persons should not have to depend on charity and pity. Social security should ensure that everyone could enjoy a ‘good life’ in dignity until their last days. 󠄀