Senior Minister Dr Ashni Singh has asked the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to work harder on modernising and improving services for citizens, even though he noted that significant progress has been made.Speaking at the NIS’s 56th Anniversary celebration at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday, Minister Singh stressed that the government has a “zero tolerance position” on poor public engagement.To commemorate its 56th anniversary, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) held a General Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference CentreHe recognised the scheme’s importance as a key institution in an independent Guyana and praised its recent growth, but stated that service quality should improve to reflect the country’s progress, in line with President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s vision.“We are building a modern Guyana, and that must extend beyond new bridges and new hospitals,” he said, before noting that, “It must also be a modern Guyana in terms of the quality of service provided to our citizens.”Government agencies must not continue to allow citizens to “feel like we’re stepping back into the Stone Age” when accessing services, the minister stressed.Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, delivering remarksThe minister has asked the NIS Board to create and carry out clear actions to make the institution modern and friendly to citizens. He also encouraged the NIS Board, management, and staff not to be complacent.“If you do not feel able or disposed to provide good quality service to contributors and beneficiaries… please make way for others who are willing and able to do so,” he said.NIS staff at the General AssemblyHe mentioned specific areas that require immediate and focused attention to ensure the NIS remains relevant and functional in a digital era, including facilitating digital payments.While approximately 60,000 pensioners are served by the NIS, only about one-third of them get their payments directly through banks. Minister Singh called for efforts aimed at motivating the rest of the pensioners to use the banking system and avoid long queues.“I want to ask you to continue to promote this very actively, to encourage persons to receive their pension in their bank account because the technology exists, and for that, of course, trust has to be built,” he contended, emphasising, “people have to see that it works efficiently and I think it does work efficiently.”Chairman of the NIS Board of Directors, Ramesh Persaud, delivering remarksThe NIS’s use of technology, including the introduction of a WhatsApp service for submitting life certificates and a 24-person Call centre, received praise from Dr Singh. Still, the minister stressed that published contact numbers and services must be reliably operational to prevent frustration.The public was also urged to play their part by actively checking their annual contribution statements to ensure their records are accurate.General Manager, Holly GreavesThe urgency for change is magnified by the scheme’s recent expansion, which saw its active contributor base grow by over 75,000 persons between August 2020 and August 2025. This includes a more than 37 per cent increase in employed contributors and a 113 per cent rise in self-employed contributors, reflecting the Government’s job creation agenda.NIS Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ramesh Persaud and Holly Greaves, the General Manager, also delivered remarks at the General Assembly.The push for efficient and reliable services aligns with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s commitment, as outlined in its 2025 Manifesto (Republished from the Department of Public Information)The post NIS must be ‘modern and friendly’ to Guyanese – Finance Minister appeared first on News Room Guyana.