By Chantalé Fletcher
NATIONAL Insurance System consultations will commence within the next two months.
This according to Minister of Finance Colm Imbert in an answer to an Urgent Question by Opposition MP Rudranath Indarsingh in the House of Representatives on Friday.
Indarsingh asked Imbert when the consultations on the National Insurance System will begin.
Imbert said, “The first set of consultations with stakeholders, such as employers’ representatives, businesses representatives and trade unions, those will be one-one bilateral consultations.
“The second set of consultations will be national public consultations which will be held at an appropriate venue or if the regulations do not permit, in a virtual form. Those will take place after the consultations take place with the core stakeholders.”
Imbert was also asked if consultations would be affected under the current State of Emergency in place to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Finance Minister added, “It would appear that the member for Couva South is signalling that the Opposition will support an extension of the State of Emergency because if you take two months from now, it takes us beyond the original three months of the State of Emergency.”
“I don’t know if the member though his question through…” Imbert indicated.
He said, “We have learnt a lot in the last 12 months as a country on how to do consultations in a digital format. And we will use the virtual method of consultation and also we will use whatever physical consultations can be done within the public health regulations that may exist within the next two months or so.”
Imbert gave his commitment that all stakeholders involved will be given access to copies of the Actuarial Review of the National Insurance System.
However, he ensured the House that, “It is already on the National Insurance Board website.”
