Request ‘good standing’ certificates a month before permit renewals
Work permit holders who are seeking certificates of good standing and earnings are being asked to apply to the Social Security Board and National Health Insurance one month before their renewal date.
This requirement was announced by the minister responsible for Social Security, Vincent Wheatley, during a recent session of the House of Assembly.
He said the new policy follows the increase in the volume of applications that are now processed by both institutions weekly.
“Prior to COVID-19, an application for one of the aforementioned certificates took, at most, 48 hours. Due to the large increase in the number of applications (approximately 100 NHI, 100 SSB per week) it is taking much longer, as the Social Security Board has not employed additional resources,” Wheatley explained.
“Therefore, to ensure that applicants obtain certificates in time to file for their work permits, SSB/NHI is asking that persons apply one month prior to the expiration of their work permits,” he added.
Initiative recording mixed results
In the meantime, Wheatley said the overall decision for businesses to now produce the aforementioned certificates have been achieving some positive results.
He said: “The Honourable Premier and his government are committed to ensuring that employers live up to their legal and moral obligations … Several employers who were in default for an extended period of time have been forced to pay past-due contributions.”
However, Wheatley said there still is a significant number of employers who are unresponsive to the programme and remain past due on their taxes.
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We live in the 21st century, I know it’s hard for the BVI to understand that but how backwards can you be?
If it was all on computer and not on ancient scrolls you could process a hundred an hour. And you would know who was not paying.
Fail to pay in the UK and two weeks after the due date bailiffs are at the door.
What happened to the seamless, electronic, joined-up Government that the VIP promised us before the election? Yet we are still told to request bits of paper from one branch of government and go and deliver them to other branches of government. Government should be able to do this automatically with the click of a button.
Everyday is something different today is one new rule and tomorrow is another well sah !! I never see more!! Backwards set of people with so much poor governance sigh ? Lord send help
What the f***going on every day is something what happen to you minister you did not sit down and plan is like when it pop up in your head u decide to run with it com on not even a meeting with business owners and come to some common ground. You getting on like a child in pre K you are making people families suffer and breaking up homes god don’t sleep
Quite ridiculous, making people line up in queues during a pandemic. These could all be done online. And follow up with the local employers that are NOT paying what they owe to their own country.
God help us all, can wait to go back to the polls. What’s next Vincent!!!
This man is bad for the BVI economy period
Try 3 months to have any chance
why did the Minister not state how many prosecutions he is seeking for non payment of all these past taxes? I assume he is chasing it with all his might in these tough financial times….?
The Minister for Red Tape and Paperwork ought to know that one month before hasn’t worked so far. Why should it work now?
Question to the Honourable Minister: How many hours must we waste awaiting any kind of response from indifferent bureaucrats that obviously resent the work load you have imposed upon them?
When the baot is rocked or the comfort zone has been disturbed or the status quo has been shaken, or advantage cannot longer be taken , then all of a sudden something or person is bad.
For to long labor has been advantaged. The reform is needed, plain and simple.
Mr. Minister YOU should have set the example and pay up for Expats who walked away after Irma with not a red penny…
ohhh s#!+
Say it aint so??? Hon. Minister defend yourself.
If only we could apply and pay online instead of in line!! This reliance on paper is a joke. And please update the prices for these certificates on your web pages, as you have increased them too. Lord have mercy.
How does this work for employers who don’t pay but only hire locals? Not only does the approach penalise all companies that employ expats regardless of whether they have paid their dues but there is no mechanism for those companies that don’t pay if they have no need to requests the certificates. Its so wrong on so many levels. Hours of time spent queueing and waiting. As if persons mental health wasn’t already being pushed to the limit.
Maybe all the fees that are being collected will be invested in a proper IT system that connects the departments so that the information is available at the push of a button. One can only dream…
If certain current employers are behind in taxes and social security payments then obviously this will have a spiral effect on these same work permit employees renewing their permits now !! Too many times employees who are being deducted appropriately from their salaries find themselves out on a limb when they try collecting any benefits. It seems unfair to send them home due to “ bad bosses “. I’m thinking if it comes to paying up or shipping out these same employers may choose the latter ! It could of course open employment opportunities but is this a humane approach to job provision ?? I feel the guilty ( ie delinquent employers) should be held accountable in these cases and not the employee which this new policy would Hold them so ! Not an easy answer but surely it must be more fair !
Another way to make money from the poor ecpats.. fees for good standing from NHI
fees for good standing from SSB
fees for good standing from
Inland Revenue
fees for processing the permit.
Ohh these poor expats.
What he is going to do for the locals bosses that take the employers contributions and not paying it ?
Simple. No new permits. No renewals for those under 3 yrs until January 2021.Keep the Employers paper work load low…there are enough unemployed status workers here to fill those gaps…
Some serious mis management hoing on on this mans watch
Managers with work permit is an issue, they themselves on work permit and are the decision makers as to who to send home and you know they don’t like BVI landers, so we are the first to go home…This need to looking into…Stop.. No manager should be a work permit holder, they hate us, simple.