Date Gazetted:	February 18, 2019
Sector(s) Affected:	Services
Specific sub-sector:	Public
S.I. No.:	22 of 2019

The Social Security (Registration of Employers and Employed Persons) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 amends several sections of the principal regulation. These include changes to sections 2, 4 and 5 of the regulations.

Principal among these changes is the change to Regulation 4, which has to do with the Registration of Employed persons. Specifically, Regulation 4(1) reads:

“On being registered under the Act, an employer shall, within fourteen days after such registration, present to the Manager a list of all his employers.”

The principal regulation also outlined the documents that shall be “accepted for registration purposes”; however, the current amendment addresses Section 7(b) that looks at registration for foreign nationals. The original Regulation read: 7(b) “for foreign nations, birth certificates and valid work permits”

This has been repealed and replaced the following: “For foreign nationals (i) valid passports, and (ii) valid work permits.” Consequently, the amendment allows for passports to be utilized, while the use of birth certificates is now reserved in Regulation 7A if the foreign national becomes “a permanent resident or a citizen”. 

The amendment also repeals and replaces the original Regulation 5, which read:

“5 (1) A registration card shall be free of charge upon its first issue and shall be in such form as the Board may decide and shall remain the property of the Board. (2) Every registration card shall bear unamended the full name and registration number of the insured person together with such other details as may be indicated thereon.“

The amendment, however, introduces some conditions, stating that “the first issue of a registration card shall be free of charge for every: (a) citizen of Belize, (b) permanent resident of Belize; or holder of a qualifying certificate”.

Additionally, the amendment introduces a definition for “Qualifying Certificate” which refers to the “Certificate of Recognition of Caribbean Community Skills issued in accordance with Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Skill Persons Act).”

A copy of the earlier version of the Regulation could be found at the Social Security Board’s website.