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JAMAICA: Government moving towards Direct Deposit Pension Payments

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#Kingston, December 29, 2018 – Jamaica – Persons receiving retirement pension payments under the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will soon be required to have a bank account.  NIS Director, Portia Magnus, tells JIS News that the plan is to have all NIS pensioners receiving their funds through direct deposits into their accounts.

“That is where we will be going,” she says.  “Gradually we are shifting. The Government is moving more and more from paper, which is time-consuming and costly, and going more electronic, and so, overtime, you will see that the pension order books are going to be phased out,” she points out.

Persons now receive their benefits through the pension order book, a cheque, bank draft and direct deposit to a bank account.  Ms. Magnus tells JIS News that once the resources are in place, the Ministry will implement direct deposit on a wider scale to existing pensioners.

“So, already on the new application form, persons are required to provide their banking information,” she points out.

For the pension order book, persons receive a voucher/cheque book with 13 leafs.

“Each voucher is predated and it’s two weeks apart. So you can encash a voucher every two weeks, or as you feel, because they actually become dated after six months like a cheque. But the date is every two weeks,” Ms. Magnus explains.

For the direct payments into the bank accounts, she points out that the regular payment is usually on the 15th of the month, “so you get one amount every month in the middle of the month”.

Pensioners who want the option to receive their payments through their bank accounts can do so by completing a Direct Deposit Form available at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security parish offices or downloading the form from the Ministry’s website, www.mlss.gov.jm.

“Now, if an existing pensioner does that, what will happen is that at the end of the month, they will get – depending on when the pension order book finishes – a certain amount deposited to their account at the end of the month. Then you will have regular payment beginning monthly,” Ms. Magnus says.

The NIS is a compulsory contributory funded social security scheme, covering all employed persons in Jamaica.  Administered under the National Insurance Act, it offers some financial protection to the worker and his or her family against loss of income arising from injury on the job, sickness, retirement and/or death of the breadwinner.

Today, the NIS provides benefits to over 124,000 persons and represents a 12.6 per cent increase over the previous financial year.  The scheme administers a number of benefits, one of which is the retirement pension, and in order to benefit from this, the contributor must attain the retirement age defined by the National Insurance Act and satisfy the contribution requirements.  This benefit is payable during the life of the pensioner.

All persons between the ages of 18 and 70, who are gainfully occupied in insurable employment are required to be registered with the NIS.  The insurable population includes employed persons, self-employed persons and voluntary contributors.

 

By: Latonya Linton

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Director of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Portia Magnus

 

JIS File Photo

 

 

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Widow’s Testimony Recounts Night Haiti President Was Killed

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MIAMI, Florida — Emotional testimony from Martine Moïse, the widow of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, has given jurors in a U.S. federal courtroom a chilling account of the night gunmen stormed the presidential residence and killed the country’s leader.

Martine Moïse took the stand this week in Miami as part of the ongoing trial of several men accused of helping plan and finance the July 7, 2021 assassination, a crime that plunged Haiti into political crisis and remains only partially solved.

She told the court that armed men forced their way into the president’s private home in the hills above Port-au-Prince during the early morning hours, firing multiple shots at her husband while she lay beside him. She testified that she was also wounded in the attack and survived by pretending to be dead until the gunmen left the room.

According to prosecutors, the plot involved a group of foreign mercenaries, including former Colombian soldiers, along with Haitian and Haitian-American suspects. Investigators say some of the men believed the mission was to detain the president, but the operation turned into an assassination.

The Miami trial is focusing on the alleged role of South Florida businessmen and others accused of organizing or financing the plan, part of a wider international investigation that has stretched across several countries.

More than four years after the killing, the question of who ultimately ordered the assassination remains unanswered, with suspects still in custody in both Haiti and the United States as the case continues to unfold.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Jamaica Joins Afreximbank Agreement, Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Partnership

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CARIBBEAN — Jamaica has become the 13th CARICOM member state to accede to the African Export-Import Bank Establishment Agreement, further strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

The development was confirmed during the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, where an Afreximbank delegation led by George Elombi and Kanayo Awani met with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness to advance cooperation.

Prime Minister Holness thanked the bank for its support following Jamaica’s recent hurricane, noting that Afreximbank financing helped restore critical infrastructure including water, electricity, sewage systems and roads, while also assisting reconstruction efforts aimed at building stronger resilience to future disasters.

The meeting also focused on broader development opportunities tied to Jamaica’s membership in the agreement. Discussions included rebuilding and modernising infrastructure such as railways, hospitals and other public facilities, while strengthening regional transportation and trade networks to improve the movement of people and goods across the Caribbean.

Afreximbank has been expanding its presence in the Caribbean as part of its strategy to connect Africa with the region often referred to as “Global Africa.” The bank has already committed billions of dollars in financing and trade support to Caribbean economies in recent years, including funding for infrastructure, trade facilitation and private sector investment.

By joining the agreement, Jamaica gains expanded access to Afreximbank’s financial instruments, technical support and trade networks designed to promote commerce between Africa and CARICOM states.

Regional leaders say the growing partnership could unlock new opportunities in areas such as trade, logistics, tourism, manufacturing and cultural exchange, strengthening economic cooperation between the two regions with deep historical and diaspora ties.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Liberty Caribbean Supports Regional Forum on AI, Cyber Resilience and Digital Inclusion  

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Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (February 24, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow, Liberty Business and BTC, recently served as Gold-Level Partner of the two-day Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF), themed “The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience”.

The Digital Divide is of particular interest to Liberty Caribbean and is being addressed through its Charitable Foundation across the region. Low broadband penetration in the Caribbean contributes to diminished opportunities for individuals, communities, and local economies, but with the support of funding partners, this gap can be addressed through a comprehensive programme – JUMP – that focuses on providing access, devices, and digital skills.

“Liberty Caribbean was proud to serve as Gold-Level Partner of the TTIGF because the conversations taking place here shape key digital policies for multiple stakeholders,” said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad.

“As technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, we must ensure that innovation strengthens our societies rather than fragments them. The theme, ‘The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience,’ speaks directly to the work we do every day: building networks that are not only fast and reliable, but secure, inclusive and future-ready.”

Across the Caribbean, the digital divide remains one of the most pressing barriers to equitable growth. Low broadband penetration limits access to education, entrepreneurship and essential services, and that is why we are deeply committed to closing this gap.

Through the Liberty Caribbean Charitable Foundation and initiatives like the JUMP Programme, the company is expanding access to technology, affordable connectivity and digital skills training so that individuals and communities are empowered to participate fully in the digital economy.

Martin-Sulgan further stated “at Liberty Caribbean, we believe progress and responsibility must move in lock step. By investing in resilient networks, inclusive programmes and trusted partnerships, we are helping to build a Caribbean that is innovative, secure and prepared for the opportunities ahead.”

Topics covered during the Forum, with over 140 participants, included “Securing Critical Infrastructure”, Integrating AI into Digital Transformation”, “The Digital Divide”, The Human Cost of Innovation – Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age’, and AI, Cyber Resilience and Regional Innovation”.

Focused on the underlying mandate of the Conference theme thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders were invited to explore how countries can evolve boldly without compromising values or long-term stability.

Photo Caption: 

TTIGF – l-r Darren Campo, Regulatory & Compliance Officer; Yolande Agard-Simmons, Senior Manager Communications; and Kevon Swift, Senior Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs of Flow Trinidad in attendance at the Post Event Mixer at Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Head Office in St Clair, Port of Spain

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