The Social Security Board (SSB) is a statutory corporation of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

which administers the country's Social Security Fund. It was established in 1981 by Part IV of the Social Security Act (SSA).

History

The SSB was established on 1 June 1981 with a staff of 26 and funding consisting of a government loan of BZ$50,000. By 2006, it had grown to 263 employees. In those 25 years it paid out a total of BZ$33 million in benefits, and collected BZ$49 million in contributions.

Structure

Overview

The SSB's chief executive is referred to as the Manager. The Manager is appointed by the

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

under Section 35 of the SSA. The Manager is responsible for the collection of contributions, the payment of benefits, and the accounting of all moneys collected, paid, or invested under the SSA. The Assistant Manager is appointed by the SSB itself. Other statutorily-specified positions include the senior inspector (Section 38). The government also appoints the chairman or chairperson of the SSB. The SSB board in total consists of nine members: five members representing the government (including the chairperson), two members representing employees both from the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, and two members representing employers (one from the

Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

and one from the

Belize Business Bureau Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

). The chairman serves for a term of five years, and other members for three years.

List of high-level members

Persons who have held the position of chairperson of the SSB include: *

Michel Chebat Michel Hannah Chebat, Jr. (born 23 May 1969) is a Belizean lawyer. He has previously served as Chairman of Social Security Board (Belize), Belize's Social Security Board as well as President of the Bar Association of Belize. He is a partner in the ...

, appointed September 2006 *

Lois Young Lois is a common English name from the New Testament. Paul the Apostle mentions Lois, the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy in the Second Epistle to Timothy (commending her for her faith in 2 Timothy 1:5). The name was first used by English Chris ...

(the ex-wife of PM Dean Barrow), appointed February 2008 Persons who have held the position of chief executive officer of the SSB include: *

Narda Garcia Narda is a Filipino rock band, formed in Quezon City, Manila in 2002 by drummer Ryan Villena, bassist Wincy Aquino Ong, vocalist Katwo Librando, and guitarists JV Javier and Ed Ibarra. Successive line-ups included guitarists Nico Africa and Ta ...

, fired 21 July 2006 * Louis Zabaneh, appointed 31 August 2007 * Merlene Bailey-Martinez, resigned 21 February 2012 in the midst of an insider trading scandal

Powers of inspectors

Inspectors are empowered by Section 40 to enter any premises (excluding private dwellings not used for trade or business) and to make any inquiries for the purpose of determining whether the employment of persons therein complies with the SSA. Under Section 41, such inspectors are immune from claims relating to the discharge of their duties, unless it is proven that an act or omission was malicious and without probable cause.

References

External links

*{{official, https://www.socialsecurity.org.bz/our-mission-vision/ 1981 establishments in Belize Organizations established in 1981 Social security in Belize Government of Belize