A total of eleven (11) charitable organizations across the island have benefited from the Dominica Social Security (DSS) annual Christmas cash donation amounting to $25,000. This was according to Director of the DSS, Janice Jean Jacques-Thomas who was delivering remarks during the presentation ceremony held at the DSS Board Room in Roseau on Monday.
The organizations include CALLS in Portsmouth, a centre where adolescents learn to love and serve, CHANCES, the Dominica Association of Persons with Disabilities (DAPD), the Dominica Infirmary, the Education Trust Fund, Grotto Home for the Homeless, House of Hope, Mahaut Senior Citizens Home, Northern District Home for the Aged, St Jerome’s Ministry and The Social Centre.
“Today donations amount from $1000 to $5000, totaling $25,000…,” Jean-Jacques Thomas revealed. “In addition to the amounts being distributed here today, DSS has also supported the President’s Charity Foundation as well as various educational institutions to enable them to recognize their deserving students.”
And despite the economic challenges with which the world has been grappling in recent times, she said the DSS is delighted to continue today what can now be regarded as an institutional tradition, the presentation of donations during the season of goodwill, a time for caring and sharing.
“In fact, within the last several years the Dominica Social Security has been known to make such contributions to facilitate the work of a number of charitable organizations in keeping with the Board’s policy of allocating a percentage of its annual administrative budget for the purpose of supporting the activities of certain organizations through donations,” She stated. “As a matter of fact, the institution continues to efficiently fulfil its mandate while keeping administrative expenses at less than half of its legislative limit…thereby making it possible to grant such donations.”
Moreover, Jean-Jacques Thomas said the DSS is already having a significant impact on the socio-economic well-being of the nation.
“Even so, we are mindful of the fact that as a good corporate citizen it behooves us to possess a social conscience which finds expression in the degree of attention that we give to the needs of the less fortunate and underprivileged in our midst,” she stated.
Jean-Jacques Thomas trusts that the organizations will continue to have the means to adequately fulfil the respective roles that have either been entrusted to them or to pursue the causes to which they may have committed themselves.
“Let me exhort all of you to persevere in your various fields of endeavour and to never get weary in doing what is good, just, right and true,” he encouraged. “Remember that we have a moral responsibility to do unto others that which we would like to have done unto us and further, that the good Lord counts as done to him, whatever we do to and for one another…”
Meanwhile, Jean-Jacques Thomas called on employers who fail to meet their obligations to the DSS on behalf of their employees to pay their contributions.
“It would be neglectful of me if I didn’t seize this opportunity to salute all our stakeholders who continue to collaborate with us in effective fulfilment of our most noble mandate, while at the same time calling again on those employers who continue to fail in meeting their obligations to the social security on behalf of their employees,” she remarked. “And also, to the self-employed persons who fail to pay their contributions to social security on their own account.”
Jean-Jacques Thomas added, “I urge all of you to commit yourselves to doing…this coming New Year…to ensure your employees’ and for the self-employed persons your future financial well-being is secured.”
Bravo to you, could not have been better said!!!
And on that note, the Executive Director should tell the contributors, if government owes the Dominica Social Security and how much. Please also tell us who are the “Statutory Bodies” that owed DSS $71,170,636 as per the 2020 Financial Statements. See the top of page 63 of the 2020 Annual Report under the heading “Originated Loans and Advances” via this link –
https://dss.dm/2020-annual-report/
And please publish the reports for 2021 and 2022
So what is your Point,Point.When you save money at the bank,the bank lend out your money,and collect a bigger interest than what you are paid on your savings.If you live long enough social security will have paid you MORE than what you contributed.Example if you contribute you contribute $100,00 to social security monthly,your monthly retirement benifit from DSS will be about $600.00.Do the maths,and live long enough.The most important thing is to work hard and work with ambition build a house,so your retirement benefit won’t go towards rent.
@lin clown, sorry you did not understand my post. What I am saying is the DSS is not a private entity it is non profit. The contributions are mandated by law and it is compulsory. No one is exempt from from paying SS. If the government wants to assist charitable Organizations give them an annual subvention and leave the SS money to be used for what it was intended for. It is now $25000 next year it might jump to $250,000 and we end up like Antigua not been able to pay pensioners.
A drop in the bucket is better than a dry bucket.
I hope is not our money they taking and so them things there
Please stop this nonsense! The money at the social security does not belong to government, the DSS is also not a private entity but an institution created by statute to collect contributions from workers and invest those contributions so that workers can be paid their pensions when they retire.