Finance commissioner says retirement backlog was cleared for 96 retirees

Finance Commissioner Valdamier Collens said on Oct. 10, 2018, that the Virgin Islands government had paid $1,182,064 in retirement-related payments for 96 retirees over the previous month and had fully addressed the backlog tied to missing employer contributions for people GERS categorized as new retirees.

Collens said the Government Employees Retirement System should move quickly to resolve what it described as "other reasons" for delaying benefits, saying those issues were unrelated to missing employer contributions. He said GERS had a policy of not processing benefit payments until those issues were resolved.

According to Collens, the government's concerns about GERS were outlined in a post-hearing brief filed in District Court on Oct. 5, 2018, after Judge Curtis Gomez ordered both parties to submit briefs.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/retirement-backlog-fully-addressed-gers-must-quickly-resolve-other-reasons-for-delaying-benefits/