Prime Minister Promises to Clear Outstanding Social Security and Statutory Payments

11
Browne

Prime Minister Defends Government’s Contributions to Social Security and Statutory Corporations

Prime Minister Gaston Browne addressed concerns in Parliament today about the government’s payments to Social Security, Medical Benefits, and the Board of Education.

Opposition MP Richard Lewis questioned the Prime Minister on the status of these statutory deductions and the delays in meeting obligations.

Responding to the queries, Browne recalled that his administration has been the only one in Antigua and Barbuda’s history to consistently pay all Social Security premiums without borrowing from its reserves. He stated that from 2014 to 2023, his government paid $200 million into Social Security over nine years, far surpassing the $60 million paid by a previous administration over a ten-year period.

Browne acknowledged that one year’s worth of payments to Social Security remains outstanding due to lingering economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, he assured Parliament that the government plans to clear these arrears by 2025, projecting sufficient revenue surpluses to meet these obligations.

He also criticized past administrations for borrowing from Social Security reserves without repayment, calling their actions a significant contributor to the fund’s financial challenges. Browne noted that during the pandemic, his government made advance payments to Social Security to ensure beneficiaries continued receiving their payments.

When pressed further, the Prime Minister confirmed that delays also impacted Medical Benefits and the Board of Education but reiterated his administration’s commitment to resolving these arrears.

He attributed the delays to cash flow challenges stemming from the pandemic but assured that all outstanding payments would be addressed.

The Prime Minister emphasized that his government’s track record demonstrates a commitment to fiscal responsibility and safeguarding the country’s statutory corporations, despite the challenges posed by unprecedented global economic disruptions.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. For goodness sake man! First you paying overtime and back pay; and now you promising to clear outstanding Social Security and Statutory payments.

    ANYONE WOULD THINK YOU ARE ABOUT TO CALL A SNAP ELECTION SOON.

    However citizens of Antigua & Barbuda, check your bank accounts and back pockets first … your eyes don’t lie!

  3. millions are spent on other things while we wait over a year and more to receive whats due to us? my dad died over 2 years ago and I cannot get survivor’s benefits to date😔

  4. I can clear all out standing payment to social security, by over estimating Apua utility bills, oops! Didn’t say that.

  6. UPP was in office in the worse financial collapse in American history, no excuse, but it was way worse than COVID.
    So MR Browne boy, stop being so disingenuous with your opinions about what the past administration did.

    You took over when America was recovering(from where most of the tourist to Antigua and the Caribbean comes from by the way) so you were in the best 5yrs ever in the history of Antigua tourist wise and financially, because Americans were flocking the shores of Antigua from 2014 to 2019 and spending massive amounts of money.
    So you were the leader in the best times, before COVID and after COVID. And by the way, COVID only impacted the island of Antigua drastically because of your foolish lockdown policies and tear gasing innocent people that didn’t want to take the jab.

    So get the facts right, because you have squandered the golden years of Antigua and became rich in the process.

    All now we can’t get proper roads and St John cleaned up and to look like a real town again.

    So stop the BS Mr Browne boy..
    You wasted the assets of Antigua for the past 10 years..
    So pay the damn people their money, and stop enriching yourself..

  7. Our growth rate is second only to Guyana as a result of their oil find but we are still heavily indebted to our social organizations. The promises are back because of a planned election. This Guy is a liar and a failure.

  8. Wasn’t it he who said that statutory boards like Social Security are not to have any surpluses and removed the money UPP left there? Max admitted to it. This an blames everyone but himself.

  9. My wife became eligible for Social Security retirement benefits in Mar 2024. While she applied for the said benefits she is yet to be processed and begin receiving her pension. SS continues to tell her that they are back logged but I don’t believe that in light of this article. What gets me with the SS Board is how they mismanage the fund and are not held to account. What must be understood is that myself and my Employers contribution in my name is my money and SS has no legal right to withhold pension benefits. I’m appalled that this is allowed to continue. The ANU COP 29 delegation went to Baku on vacation, how much did that cost?????

  10. So last week when the PM was blasting Crump about the condition of the roads he made it seem as if the government was sitting on a surplus of money that was not been utilized. But now when it comes to Social Security it’s the usual excuse about ‘lingering economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic.’ SMH

  11. Hello Mr. Prime Minister, ah begging yuh pleeeeeese..Me ah wait three years now. Pleeese Mr prime minister, and whilst yuh at it, mek wan call to the man ovah social security and let him explain all de money mix up dat ah go on deh. Please.

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