We're used to the old Social Security and it's battered public image: stingy with payments, generous with fat cat fund freeloaders who have choice government connections. But now SSB has started a transformation project that's going to cost $400,000. It's called the Strategic Business Transformation Project and it seeks to overhaul SSB's processes, policies and organizational structure. At the leading edge of that is new CEO Louis Zabaneh and today after a briefing session with stakeholders he said there are 2,500 processes to look at.

Louis Zabaneh, CEO - Social Security Board
"We've identified over 2,000 processes, close to 2,500 of those processes, they are being benchmarked to international standards. All of that with the intention of improved efficiency that automatically on the other side of that coin translates to lower costs for doing a particular activity. All of that people will start to see. We're becoming now what we should have been: a customer centered organization where everything that we do is focused on the customer."

Consultant,
"And the customer doesn't only need that their claim be paid the full amount of a claim. Value in the mind of a customer means a lot more than just getting my claim paid. I want my claim paid quickly, I want friendly staff attending to me, I want a neat and tidy office and things like that. So we're looking at all aspects of customer service."

Louis Zabaneh,
"One of the things that we are looking at very seriously is what will be the legacy of the present leadership of SSB as we go forward and on the top of that list is that we are working very hard to restore the confidence of the Belizean people and this can only be done by action. They have to feel it, they have experience it when they go and get services."

And while the new is struggling to be born at SSB, the old way of doing business was still evident today. This morning government announced that, "Cabinet has been advised that Social Security has agreed to increase the non contributory pension to $100." But Social Security's Board hasn't agreed to anything. In fact it hasn't even advised. At least that's what the Chairman told us.

Michel Chebat, Chairman - SSB
"For example with the non-contributory pension, we know that this is something that government has wanted to implement for a while and we at the board, we have since taken the initiative to obtain an actuarial study on the plan to see the feasibility of it and also to see what effect it would have on the fund. I must tell you that our primary responsibility as a board is to ensure the viability of that fund. While the government is there to enact laws, we can't stop them from doing that but I can tell you that as soon as we have the actuarial study, we will be putting forward the views of the Social Security Board and it is then for the government to decide what steps it will want to take."

Jules Vasquez,
But Sir I read the Cabinet brief of this morning that it has been increased to $100, to know that that is inaccurate.

Michel Chebat,
"Jules I am not going to be disputing what Cabinet has said. I know what the position of the Social Security Board is and that is all that I will say on that topic."

Jules Vasquez,
But you all make the decisions.

Michel Chebat,
"The decision is a matter of law. The decision whether or not government intends by law to increase the pension is a matter for their decision. We as the SSB we have a duty to advise the government what the effect of such an increase would be on the fund and I believe that once we have done that, it is then for the government of the day to decide how they want to amend the law and what policies they want to bring into effect."

Chairman Michel Chebat also discussed the NHI project. Social Security has committed $15 million for its startup - ten million of that for the rollout. The actuary has warned Social Security of the burden on that fund that NHI creates. And Chebat said, advice taken, Social Security has given its last money to NHI.

Michel Chebat,
"(We have) concluded the contributions we had decided to give to the NHI so that there will be no more funds coming from Social Security Board for the financing of NHI."

Jules Vasquez,
Forever or for this year?

Michel Chebat,
"For long Jules I can't speak for ever. I can tell you that for the foreseeable future and I can also tell you that the government has undertaken the burden to finance NHI so that that is no longer concerned to that extent to the Social Security Board."