Bartlett says pension scheme will protect craft vendors

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says local craft vendors should have no fear about the future as they will be protected under the new Tourism Workers Pension Scheme, which is slated to come on stream.

According to Bartlett, the long-awaited pension scheme will be brought before Parliament for public debate in September. 

He said that he is confident that the bill will be passed and rolled out before the end of the year.

“I know several of you [craft vendors] have sold here from yu eye deh a yuh knee and yu send pickney to high school, to college, and you wear one something just to make sure the children get a chance,” Bartlett told craft vendors during his recent tour of the Old Fort Craft Market in Montego Bay, St. James.

“So, when the thing done your child have the education and gone but you need something that you have for yourself.”

In noting that the pension plans will help workers, Bartlett said the concept is to offer protection for the future.

“Part of the concept is making sure that we protect the future of our parents in tourism to provide social security,” said Bartlett.

“This pension plan embraces everybody who participates in the industry like the entrepreneurs, craft vendors, designers, porters, drivers and trainers.

“This fund that we set up for you is going to ensure that even if you are 60 years old and you going to retire at 65 [years old], you are going to get the same pension as if you have contributed for the past 20 or 30 years,” explained Bartlett.

“This is the only country in the Caribbean that will have a pension plan like that. You are going to contribute something and we are going to contribute something and so when you retire, you are going to get something. We are thinking about you [craft vendors] from the start of your business until the closing of your business,” added Bartlett.

In addition, Bartlett announced that his ministry will be rolling out a tourism certification programme in 33 high schools across the nation starting in September

“So when they leave (school) they can go into the industry right away and don’t have to worry about putting them on probation and all of that,” said Bartlett.

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