NIB targeting 50,000 employer accounts in arrears

The National Insurance Board (NIB) is targeting 50,000 employer and self-employed accounts that are in arrears, in a new initiative called Go After Listing (GOAL), NIB Compliance Manager Trevor Brice said yesterday, explaining that the new initiative is designed to advise those particular account holders of their options to update their contribution payments.

Brice, who was a guest on Guardian Radio talk show “Morning Blend”, said the COVID-19 pandemic made it more evident to NIB the number of non-compliant companies registered with the board.

He said every employer is required by law to remit contributions on behalf of their employees, but NIB has found since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that as many unemployed people present themselves for payouts, many companies were not making those required payments.

“For this project we’re only focusing on the 50,000. This initiative we’re doing is really a country-wide exercise,” said Brice.

NIB Senior Inspector Rochelle Rolle, who was also a guest of the show, said many companies have fallen into arrears because of bad business practices.

She added that with GOAL, one of the first steps is to make it easier for the 50,000 companies singled out to make their contributions current through various payment options.

According to Rolle, NIB check drop boxes are available, as well as bank online bill payment options and NIB’s own online Employer Self Service (ESS) portal.

She said the ESS portal is the favored way to pay as it “eliminates the manual process where payments and contribution payments have to be uploaded to your account or the employers’ account by NIB personnel”.

Rolle said another option for those companies in arrears is to make payments in installments, by signing an agreement with NIB for those regular payments.

“In regards to the installment agreement plan, as a matter of policy an initial payment is required before an installment agreement can be established; and is usually 40 percent of your amount outstanding, which represents an employee portion of the contribution,” Rolle said.

“NIB does not allow employers to write down any amount owed to NIB. Where the terms of the installment plan are not adhered to, the board reserves the right to cancel the agreement and demand full payment.”

Rolle said if those options fail to bring an employer or self-employed person current, NIB will pursue legal action.

She said there are current cases of convictions for non-payment of NIB contributions and individuals who have been committed to prison for non-payment of court-ordered arrears payments.

Rolle said the goal of GOAL is to make it easier for employers and the self-employed to bring their accounts current.

“We are trying to make things easier and more accessible,” she said.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/nib-targeting-50000-employer-accounts-in-arrears/