Officials of the Dominica Social Security (DSS) say that they are now considering an “unemployment insurance programme.”
According to Deputy Director of the DSS Augustus Etienne, presently they are considering introducing what is called “unemployment insurance” but he says that it will take some time to be implemented.
“We are considering unemployment insurance but this will take some time and is something that we will have to contribute to upfront since our system is a contributory one and all of the benefits have a contribution requirement associated with it,” Etienne said.
“So, for people to be able to access benefit when they are not working, they will have to contribute towards that…but it is something that is in the future, we have to get an internal evaluation and technical assistance to make that become a reality.”
Some persons have expressed concerns that the DSS may not be able to pay them retirement benefits but that was dismissed by Etienne saying that the “DSS is expected to continue indefinitely in perpetuity until the last surviving survivor of DSS draws their contribution.”
“Those systems are not designed to disappear…they are designed so that the last contributing survivor gets his/her contribution we are there to stay,” he stated.
The DSS is celebrating its 46th anniversary this week.
Find attached voice clip of Augustus Etienne of the DSS.
https://natureisle.news/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Augustus-Etienne-DSS-Deputy-Director.mp3