Soc. Security Reform Commission completes work

With millions of dollars in cash, and major investments in key areas of the nation’s economy, the Social Security Board is perhaps the most powerful financial entity in Belize. But that power has not always been exercised without controversy; hence the appointment of a commission to suggest reforms in the way it conducts it’s business. That report is now complete and today News 5’s Jacqueline Woods got a preview.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

It took the Social Security Reform Commission almost nineteen months to put together the report. The publication is eighty-three pages long and contains recommendations that the commission believes will provide greater transparency within the S.S.B. The commission’s chairman, Father Leroy Flowers, says the work included countless interviews and significant research.

Fr. Leroy Flowers, Social Security Reform Commission

“Over six hundred people actually came to us and gave us their views, made recommendations. And then what we have done, we discovered most people are distrustful of Social Security, so we’ve recommended areas where Social Security can become more transparent, where Social Security can even become more accountable.”

One of the major recommendations the commission has put forward to the government is to change the way the Board of Directors and General Manager are appointed.

Fr. Leroy Flowers

“Presently, it is who the minister so desire in consultation with. We are saying that should be changed, the organisation that is named in the regulation should nominate its representative and the minister appoints that person, not the other way around. We also feel that we should change the way by which the general manager is appointed. Our understanding is that every time there is an election the board and the general manage packs up, and they don’t even return if there’s a change in government. And even since we’ve had elections we’ve had four changes, so it means that they don’t return. That’s unfair to us as Belizeans and stakeholders. And so we feel that these people are supposed to be appointed by certain regulations, by changing those regulations so that these people, it doesn’t matter which government forms the government of the day, these people will serve their term in office until it comes to an end, and so they can be held accountable.”

Another great concern of the commission has to do with the way loans are granted by S.S.B. Father Flowers says the public should be more informed and involved; after all it is the people’s money that will be used.

Fr. Leroy Flowers

“That one, when people apply to Social Security, they publish that and give the public information and ask for comments. Publish it in the local media, not in the Gazette, nobody reads the Gazette unfortunately, I’m certain not even the public officers read the Gazette. And so we are saying publish it in the local media across the country and give a time frame and get comments so you can begin. Cause remember, this is the people’s money, this is not government’s money, they are simply the custodians. Also, when Social Security makes a decision to grant a loan, we are saying that Social Security should then publish that as well and then give the terms of reference.”

On September, twentieth, Prime Minister Said Musa was presented with a copy of the report. Flowers is optimistic that if not all of the recommendations will be accepted, the government will seriously consider implementing the most important the changes.

Fr. Leroy Flowers

“All of the recommendations can’t be implemented at one sweep. They will need actuarial reviews to look at the financial implications. But we feel that if only fifty percent of those recommendations are implemented it will make Social Security more transparent, we will restore the public trust and confidence in Social Security, and more importantly, Social Security will be able to provide the kind of social net which is so important for all the stakeholders, and therefore restore our trust in this important institution and organisation.”

Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.

Copies of the report will be made available to the public shortly.