NIC relaunched Golden Citizens Program for retirement pensioners

Castries, Saint Lucia: The National Insurance Corporation has announced the relaunch of the Golden Citizens Program to honour the NIC retirement pensioners on December 15, 2023.

The program has been partnered with the business community, which will provide them with discounts on goods and services.

Notably, the reimagined program was launched under the theme, “Celebrating Your Golden Years With Exclusive Rewards.” It was held during a ceremony at the Finance Administrative Centre at the Pointe Seraphine on Friday.

Objectives of program

The main objectives of the program are to increase the economic and purchasing power of the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) pension, especially considering the continuous rise in inflation, and to recognize the contribution of retirees to the nation’s development.

It should be noted that this program was initiated under the then Director, Emma Hippolyte, in 2004, which clearly demonstrates the NIC’s commitment to providing value beyond merely making pension payments to its beneficiaries for a long time. This was mentioned by Mr. Evaristus Jn Marie, the Chairman of NIC, in his remarks.

He further added that they have remained committed to finding new ways of providing value to the pensioners, as he promised that he should remain open to new ideas from pensioners.

“We at the NIC have remained committed to finding new ways of providing value to pensioners. In our search to create added value for our pensioners, I want to promise you that we shall remain open to ideas from pensioners because, in many ways, pensioners are better placed to inform the direction of this search”, the NIC chairman stated.

Notably, approximately 60 businesses from both large and small scale have registered to participate in the programs to date. They are offering discounts of up to twenty per cent (20%) on goods and services and other incentives as well.

The NIC Communications Manager, Mr Shervon Alfred, commented that he will continue to engross the private sector to expand the number of businesses participating in the Golden Citizens Program.

The primary goal of this program is to create an extensive network that deals with the diverse needs and preferences of pensioners and offers them a wide range of options to choose from.

Gold Cards advantages

Most importantly, NIC retirement pensioners will be issued with “Gold Cards” as a part of the program. They can use those cards in order to claim their exclusive discounts.

It is to be noted that all the participants of the program will be recognized through their special Golden Citizens Program decal.

Additionally, this Golden Citizen program is also available for government pensioners who are members of the Saint Lucia Association of Retired Persons (SLARP).

The National Insurance Corporation appreciates its partners for this successful collaboration with the Golden Citizens Program.

In the coming days, NIC will be registering qualified retirement pensioners to receive their gold cards.