Above: DSS Director Janice Jean-Jacques Thomas (Photo: DIS)

By Mervin Matthew

Dominica’s Social Security has begun a series of consultations with stakeholders across the island, engaging in dialogue on the further development of the country’s social security scheme.

“The management of the Dominica Social Security is seeking to consult with our various stakeholders: the employees, employers, self-employed persons and the general public about the status of the fund and the measures that were being needed to ensure that the fund can remain sustainable to serve successive generations of Dominicans,” said Janice Jean-Jacques Thomas, the executive director of the fund.

According to Thomas, the latest actuarial review has made two recommendations: one, to increase the age at which pensions are paid from 60 to 65, over a 15-year period, and two, to increase the contribution rate.

A series of consultations were held by the DSS to discuss the recommendations in 2006, but they were not implemented.

Thomas said, however, that the country’s citizens readily accepted the need for changes.

“Even when this actuary came for the last review, for the tenth review, the actuary was pleased himself to see that persons had actually embraced the need for the change because when you explain to people why the changes are necessary, they accept the reasons why that is so,” she said.

–Dominica Information Service