KPMG to oversee the collection of National Insurance contributions as collections fall off-target at the Board?
NASSAU| Bahamas Press is reporting there is more political cleansing at the nation’s social security network where another senior executive as been invited to take early retirement from the National Insurance Board.
BP’s sources deep inside the Cabinet of the Bahamas confirmed Prime Minister The Most Hon. [Ever] Hubert Minnis has invited the daughter of “My Beloved”, the late George Mackey, to accept early retirement at NIB.
Phaedra Mackey-Knowles, Deputy Director at the Board with responsibility for investments, who has always presented herself as a consummate professional, has been asked to take early retirement by the instruction of the PM. We are learning the top executive was advised to make a decision late into the evening early this week.
The PM has asked current NIB Director Nicola Virgill-Rolle to assume the responsibilities of Mackey-Knowles with immediate effect until a suitable replacement is found.
PM Minnis has also agreed for NIB to ax the Senior Manager for Contributions, Compliance, and Enforcement, Stephen Thompson, a relative of PS Jack Thompson at the Board. Stephen was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the collection of revenue from clients, which we are learning has drastically fallen off target and will result in NIB achieving for this fiscal year a second dangerous loss under the Minnis Government.
Prime Minister has also engaged the services of KPMG at NIB to offer assistance with the services of collection for the Board. Now, this decision is contrary to the NIB ACT, which gives the power of collections solely to Inspectors designated at the Board to collect all Government Revenue. Those collectors are guided by strict and stringent rules of engagement. But we doubt Minnis or Brensil Rolle has ever read the Act. Any other company or agency assigned to collect NIB revenue may not only be in violation of the Act but could pose serious and dangerous conflicts against the financial interests of the BOARD. BP will be watching these developments closely as they progress!
Now, BP understands these maneuvers are being made by the PM – who has taken over the direction of NIB while Brensil Rolle recovers from something serious. Minister Rolle staggered into Government House on Tuesday for lunch but has not been seen around NIB.
We can also add that, in the past few weeks and months, NIB has engaged the services of multiple consultants, many of whom brought absolutely no added talent or expertise to the Board and who had to rely on junior staff for their training.
Bahamas Press is watching these developments and will keep you, the public, up to date on exactly what is unfolding at NIB as serious and dangerous levels of unrest at the Board continue.
We report yinner decide!
