The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) on Wednesday launched new payment options that will significantly expand how pensioners access their monthly benefits, adding thousands of additional locations and digital channels to improve convenience and service delivery.
Under the new arrangement, pensioners who receive NIS vouchers can now cash them through three additional strategic partners: Bill Express, MoneyGram and Mobile Money Guyana (MMG).
The announcement was made during a special ceremony at Herdmanston Lodge at Peter Rose Street in Georgetown, which also marked the convening of the NIS Board’s 600th meeting, a milestone in the institution’s nearly six decades of service.
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said the move reflects the government’s wider push toward financial inclusion, modernisation and citizen-centred service delivery.
“This is a truly historic day in terms of delivery of service to Guyana’s pensioners,” Minister Singh stated.
Previously, pension vouchers could only be encashed at 14 NIS offices and 63 post offices in the country, alongside participating commercial banks.
With the new partnerships, access points have expanded dramatically.
Bill Express currently operates 52 locations nationwide, while MoneyGram provides access through 55 locations.
MMG introduces a digital option that allows pensioners to receive payments directly into their mobile wallets and access cash through more than 4,600 agents countrywide.
Combined, these new channels add approximately 4,779 additional locations for pensioners to receive or access their benefits.
“We have more than 60,000 NIS pensioners, and we want them to receive their pensions in a dignified, convenient and comfortable manner,” Minister Singh said, explaining that, “There is absolutely no reason why they should have to join a line and wait for hours to receive their pension.”
The minister noted that the government has also been encouraging pensioners to move toward direct bank payments.
According to data shared at the event, the number of pensioners receiving payments directly into bank accounts has more than doubled from 11,932 in 2020 to 24,415 in 2026, representing a 105 per cent increase.
Despite this growth, approximately 39,000 pensioners still collect physical pension books.
Minister Singh urged pensioners who already have bank accounts to transition to direct deposits and called on NIS to intensify public awareness efforts using simple, accessible language.
The minister also highlighted growth in NIS participation over the last five and a half years, saying the scheme added approximately 70,000 new employed contributors, representing a 38 per cent increase.
Self-employed contributors also increased sharply, growing by nearly 9,000 persons or 138 per cent, which he said reflects expanding employment and entrepreneurial opportunities across the economy.
Chairman of the NIS Board, Ramesh Persaud, said the new payment methods are part of a broader effort to improve customer service and modernise operations.
He noted that discussions on expanding payment accessibility had been ongoing for several years and described Wednesday’s launch as an important step toward making pension collection easier.
He said that in 2020, the scheme carried more than 14,000 pending claims monthly, and processing often took between two and three months. NIS is now processing more than 22,000 claims monthly, with turnaround times reduced to approximately one to two weeks.
Looking ahead, NIS is advancing plans to expand digital services, allowing citizens to increasingly interact with the agency remotely.
He also reminded contributors to regularly check their contribution records and ensure payments are up to date long before retirement age to avoid future complications.