About 10% of the population of St. Kitts & Nevis is said to depend on the scheme as its primary, if not only source of monthly income. In 2011 this amounted to 33 million dollars.
As of last year, (2011), Social Security covered a working population of 26, 000 people and the scheme has built up assets of 1.2 billion dollars.
The minister of government responsible for the scheme, Mr. Sam Condor defined it as a blessing to the people. “It was built from the ground to the towering empire that it is today, and built from our own resources, our blood, sweat, tears and prayers,” he said at the recent opening of the E St. John Payne Annex of the headquarters of the Social Security.
“Therefore we have come a long way and growing old in St Kitts and Nevis need not be scary anymore like the 1930s and 1940s,” opined Condor.
As far as Condor is concerned it is a wonderful testimony to the amazing capacity of the people, to lift themselves up and create greatness.
He said that after the implementation of self-employment coverage in 1996, Social Security now provides coverage in a pension fund for all categories of workers.
Condor was giving the featured address at the opening of the new Social Security Building on Liverpool Row, on Tuesday evening, 18th September, 2012. The building was named in honour of former minister of government in the 1970s, St. John Payne, whom condor referred to as the pioneer of the Social Security Scheme.