The National Housing Trust (NHT) is urging employers operating within Jamaica not to withhold their employees’ monthly contributions.

Dameon McNally, assistant general manager for compliance management at the entity, said there is a high degree of delinquency with some workplaces, even though contributions are mandatory.

McNally informed that failure to remit contributions to the NHT delays and in some cases prevents
employees from accessing refunds.

“Contribution refund is a big thing now and persons have varied plans for their refund. So, we want to appeal to our employers to do right by your employees. Please ensure that the payments are made and that they are on time,” McNally said at a recent JIS Think Tank.

He reiterated that NHT only refunds payments that it receives.

Employers are expected to make monthly payments for their workforce. This is in addition to filing annual returns at the end of each year, which should include information of the combined monthly payments for each employee.

McNally said non-compliance is a worrying trend that has continued over the years. Nonetheless, the NHT is engaging employers who are behind on payment to ensure that they comply and are punctual with their payments.

“We accommodate payment plans through the court or our offices with employers who have arrears,” he said.

Employers who need this facility to catch up on payments are being encouraged to reach out to the NHT for further assistance.