Mr. Deputy Speaker,

Honorable Members of the House of Assembly

I stand today to report on the performance, over the past six months, of two criticalinstitutions that play key roles in the fabric of our nation—the National Insurance Board (NIB)and the Department of Immigration. These institutions touch the lives of every Bahamian,permanent resident, investor, expatriate worker and tourist in The Bahamas. It is thereforeincumbent upon us to ensure their efficiency, integrity, and responsiveness to the needs of ourpeople.

NIB stands as the foundation of our social welfare system, providing critical support toBahamians in times of need. In fact, it would be true to say that if it were not for the NationalInsurance Board so many of our citizens would not have survived through Hurricane Dorian andCOVID-19. For example, between 2019 and 2021, the Government, through NIB, providedincome supplement and unemployment assistance to thousands of Bahamians totaling $120million and NIB itself paid out unemployment benefits, during this period, of $131.5 millionbetween 2019 and 2021.

However, we must also acknowledge that NIB faces challenges that require ourimmediate attention. According to NIB’s 11th Actuarial Report, facilitated by the InternationalLabour Organization (ILO), if drastic action is not taken the Fund will become insolvent by2028. NIB’s annual income (including contributions and investment earnings) is insufficient topay its expenditure (including benefits and administrative costs), especially in the Long Term(Pensions) Benefits Branch. These deficits existed since 2016, well before the severe contractionof the GDP caused by the pandemic in 2020.

The Actuarial Report recommended that an increase in the contribution rate for thePension Branch and the actuarial valuation clearly establishes that an increase in contribution isnecessary to make the Fund sustainable.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Honorable Members of the House of Assembly I stand today to report on the performance, over the past six months, of two critical institutions that play key roles in the fabric of our nation—the National Insurance Board (NIB) and the Department of Immigration. These institutions touch the lives of every Bahamian, permanent resident, investor, expatriate worker and tourist in The Bahamas. It is therefore incumbent upon us to ensure their efficiency, integrity, and responsiveness to the needs of our people. NIB stands as the foundation of our social welfare system, providing critical support to Bahamians in times of need. In fact, it would be true to say that if it were not for the National Insurance Board so many of our citizens would not have survived through Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19. For example, between 2019 and 2021, the Government, through NIB, provided income supplement and unemployment assistance to thousands of Bahamians totaling $120 million and NIB itself paid out unemployment benefits, during this period, of $131.5 million between 2019 and 2021. However, we must also acknowledge that NIB faces challenges that require our immediate attention. According to NIB’s 11th Actuarial Report, facilitated by the International Labour Organization (ILO), if drastic action is not taken the Fund will become insolvent by 2028. NIB’s annual income (including contributions and investment earnings) is insufficient to pay its expenditure (including benefits and administrative costs), especially in the Long Term (Pensions) Benefits Branch. These deficits existed since 2016, well before the severe contraction of the GDP caused by the pandemic in 2020. The Actuarial Report recommended that an increase in the contribution rate for the Pension Branch and the actuarial valuation clearly establishes that an increase in contribution is necessary to make the Fund sustainable.

Minister of Labour and the Public Service the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle said, in the Department of Labour’s steps towards expanding access to public services through technology, four additional services will be available on the government's online 'MyGateway' Platform.  

“These services are designed to streamline operations, enhance efficiency and most importantly, augment accessibility for trade unions and their members,” Minister Glover-Rolle said at a ceremony to introduce the MyGateway services at the National Training Agency on Monday, March 4, 2024.

MyGateway is the centralized, secure way to request and pay for a range of online services from the Government of The Bahamas.

The four new services include: trade union registrations, transfers of trade union licenses, trade union document requests, and reports of trade disputes.

This means that interested stakeholders will be able to complete four labour services online, eliminating the need to fill out paper forms.

The Minister explained that this Administration stands behind its commitment to utilize technology for the benefit of all people, and is focused on ushering in a new era of interaction between the Department of Labour and the communities it is honoured to serve.

“Today, we are making it as convenient as possible for our trade unions to initiate these vital processes.  Our ultimate goal is to make our services more accessible and universally available ensuring that our stakeholders’ needs are met.”

Staff from the Digital Transformation Unit gave a brief summary of the expanded services as well as answered any questions.

Minister of Labour and the Public Service the Hon. Pia Glover-Rolle said, in the Department of Labour’s steps towards expanding access to public services through technology, four additional services will be available on the government's online 'MyGateway' Platform.   “These services are designed to streamline operations, enhance efficiency and most importantly, augment accessibility for trade unions and their members,” Minister Glover-Rolle said at a ceremony to introduce the MyGateway services at the National Training Agency on Monday, March 4, 2024. MyGateway is the centralized, secure way to request and pay for a range of online services from the Government of The Bahamas. The four new services include: trade union registrations, transfers of trade union licenses, trade union document requests, and reports of trade disputes. This means that interested stakeholders will be able to complete four labour services online, eliminating the need to fill out paper forms. The Minister explained that this Administration stands behind its commitment to utilize technology for the benefit of all people, and is focused on ushering in a new era of interaction between the Department of Labour and the communities it is honoured to serve. “Today, we are making it as convenient as possible for our trade unions to initiate these vital processes.  Our ultimate goal is to make our services more accessible and universally available ensuring that our stakeholders’ needs are met.” Staff from the Digital Transformation Unit gave a brief summary of the expanded services as well as answered any questions.

Governor General, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Cynthia Pratt (centre) received Mr. Trevor Whylly, President/CEO and members of the Bahamas Outstanding Students Foundation in a courtesy call at the Office of the Governor General, February 26, 2024. 

Governor General, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Cynthia Pratt, pictured centre, received His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, pictured centre left, and the Leadership of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Nassau, Bahamas, in a courtesy call at the Office of the Governor General, February 26, 2024.