CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
EXCERT FROM SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD’S WEBSITE: In 1965, the ruling Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Government realized the need for more adequate provision for the Nation’s poor and indigent and articulated, in its five-year (1966 – 1970) Development Plan, its intention to replace the existing Poor Relief System – a National Provident Fund.
In September 1970, the Government passed a National Provident Fund Act.
At that time, a request was made to the International Labour Office (ILO) for expert assistance in the designing and structuring of the Fund and in framing the necessary legislation
. The ILO responded by making available the services of Mr. James Grives, an Expert from the United Kingdom, to facilitate the process. However, the establishment of the National Provident Fund was never realized.
The general elections in 1971 resulted in a change of government and in the following year, 1972, the Progressive Labour Movement (PLM) administration commissioned a thorough study of the implications and recommendations contained in the Grives Report.
On 11th July 1972, the Social Security Act was passed and Antigua and Barbuda became the first country in the O.E.C.S to have introduced a full-fledged Social Security System.
With the enactment of the Social Security Act (CAP .408), the Social Security Fund was established to provide the active insured population of Antigua and Barbuda and their dependents with some degree of income security in the event of sickness, maternity, invalidity, retirement and death. Provisions were also made for the introduction of Employment Injury Benefit.
Additional assistance was requested by Government under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which included the following:-
- The provision of an expert in social insurance administration to provide advice and guidance to the Director throughout the period of planning and initial implementation; and
- The assistance of an Actuarial Adviser to work with the administration expert during the early stages of the Social Security Fund.
On 13th September 1972, the ILO appointed Mr. S. C. Laundy of the United Kingdom, an expert in Social Security Legislation and Administration, to an initial 12-month assignment, which was subsequently extended to 30 months. Mr. F. G. Smith, an Actuarial Adviser, was assigned on 22nd October of that same year for a period of 12 months. Mr. George Goodwin Snr. was appointed Director (Ag.) initially; after which, Mr. David Kelsick was appointed Director.
The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) began operations on 2nd April 1973.
The ABSSB is responsible for the funds collected and the payment of cash benefits to contributors. In addition, the Organization has a mandate to inform its stakeholders about the programmes, benefits and services provided as well as any pending parametric and policy changes.
The ABSSB currently falls under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance. The Organization’s Directorate – comprising of the Director, the Deputy Director and the Executive Assistant – has administrative responsibilities for all functional areas, namely Finance & Investment, Research & Communications, Compliance, Benefits, Information Technology, Human Resources, Legal, Internal Audit, Customer Relations, and Facilities Maintenance.
Along with its day-to-day functions, the Organization is expected to provide the necessary balance as it responds to the constant pressures from a rapidly changing environment, the evolving organizational design and the varied demands of staff. The ABSSB has several attractive features, namely:
- The universal coverage offered by the system assures workers that their protection will follow them when they change jobs.
- The vesting and complete portability of credits earned. In other words, employees can have their earnings automatically combined from all places of employment; and, full credit given towards determining their pension.
- Social Security’s ability to finance the benefits rest on the entire economy and not just on one company or sector/industry.
- Benefits under social security also adjust readily to changing wage conditions through benefit and ceiling increases.
- Social Security has many social elements, i.e. survivors’ protection for widowhood and children; invalidity protection before retirement for workers and their families; and, in some cases, an Old-Age Assistance Benefit Programme.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
and what turns on who introduced it? It was all good intentioned until all the shenanigans that continue to take place.
Do you know the ALP was opposed the the Social Security act when it was introduced by the PLM government?. They said ” it didn’t worth the paper it was written on ” . Stop trying to give them credit for something that is so valuable to the people that was put on place for the people of Antigua and Barbuda . The people of Antigua need to know the truth about all the other things that was done by the PLM and UPP administrations that is helping the people daily.
The politicians on either side of the political divide does not care about the smaller man.
For them it’s about 10 years as a parliamentarian and then their pension of perhaps $10,000 monthly with the Gov’t is secured for life. Then later on in life it’s another pension from Social Security.
Did you know that the ABLP government was the one that rape and robbed the Social Security Scheme in the 80s and 90s to the tune of 900, million EC dollars and haven’t paid back 1 cent up to now?
The impossible dream..a non- partisan effort to to repeal and replace this 100% pension that politicians crafted for themselves. That day will come. Imagine they want one law for Barbuda land but two laws for retirement pension…a measly one for the commoners where you worked an excess of forty years and 100% of their salary for 10 years worked.
We have the power to change it.
When Social Security started the PLM was in office. You want to claim something you did not start too. F’ing egotistical boob
Crime and drugs are the two biggest threats to the Caribbean, the very two things that have seen many Caribbean islands turn from their peaceful abode, into gang lands and guns everywhere, and here we are talking about ” Social security” at this length.
But this just tells you where these greedy bastards minds are, “Money”
We should be finding ways to bring back the peaceful culture of the Caribbean, but no, SS is the “big” topic of the day.
Give me a damn break already. Social Security is for old and the dying . Life is for the young, not when you’re about to die. So just leave the old people money alone, they work for it.
When wil this government starts looking out for the young, and those that are clearly in distress, given the crime rate of the small nation of Antigua? Those are the things we should be pounding every day as elected officials in Antigua.
Yes, SS is a sexy topic, but there are young men and women getting killed and missing on a alarming rate. Fix the damn crime wave in Antigua GM, and stop the money grabbing bs.. The people are scared in their own island of birth.
If you think that you are correct with what you have said, then it is safe to say that the PLM took us through independence. The thing is though, the UPP never plundered the Social Security Board and it’s evident that they don’t know how to THIEF, [except the Fencing Individual ] and that was expressed by Dutty Shoes and Lanny Bozo.
@gaston: what’s all this about the ALP thought of social security in 1965 ? Is this to say you can raid it as you like to provide condominium house at jolly beach for white man, time for black people to stop provide wealth fir white people, our ribs are showing let’s feed ourselves instead, and we still talking about reparations and we giving it to white people in barbuda under Oppenheimer acronym PLH and now want to create home for white people on jolly beach.
I like how the title says one thing but the article states that PLM implemented it and give it the name we know today.
As well the comments pointing out that ALP may have oppose to it when it was implemented which is nice to learn honestly I would love to have chat with a lot of these commenters on a 1 to 1 conversation to learn some history from them.
Did you know that UPP is okay with having gunman and pedophiles in prominent positions in the party??
Did you know that our elderly were rape and ravished by the WICKED “SUNSHINE GOVERNMENT” when it came to getting their pension monies???
They even end up PICKETING Jackie Quinn office and she called them RAG-TAG