CATEGORY:PENSION
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By Wallace J.A, Inside Grenada correspondent
Sunday October 20, 2006


GRENADA – Pensioners in Grenada are due to get an increase in their pensions by the end of this year. This was revealed to the nation yesterday by Senator Ann David-Antoine, the minister with jurisdiction over the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

It is estimated that some five thousand current pensioners in Grenada will benefit from this increase. The cost of living in Grenada has increased over the years and the Grenada Government has seen the need to make this increase to assist this very important group of citizens, who would have contributed quite a lot towards the development of the country while they were a part of the labor force.

Sometime ago, the Member of Parliament (MP) for St. George’s NE and member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Nazim Burke, raised the issue surrounding the proposed increase in pensioners’ salaries in a press conference. He mentioned that the increase was approved by the Board of Directors of the NIS about eight months ago and nothing has been done with respect to making the increase a reality.

The MP mentioned that the pensioners are finding it difficult to meet the economic demands of life in Grenada at this time and many of them have bills to pay and have to do repairs to their homes which were damaged by the two hurricanes that impacted Grenada within the last two years.

In addressing the issue, Senator David-Antoine hinted that there was a delay because the plan to increase the salaries of pensioners had to go through its different stages and the Government had to put structures in place to ensure that the increase would be sustainable, since some people who are paying monies to the NIS at this time will become pensioners in the not-too-distant future and there would have to be money in place to pay them. She informed the nation that by years end, the pensioners should receive their increases.