Dear Claudienne

As a baby I was abandoned by my mother. A lady heard me crying under a house and rescued me. She reared me but as I have no information about my parents or any other family, the Registrar General’s Department could not provide me with a birth certificate.

The RGD gave me a letter to take to the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) where I was instructed to apply for citizenship of doubt.

I applied for citizenship of doubt on June 8, 2009.

Approximately one year and one month after I made the application I called PICA to find out what was happening. I was told that the file had been sent to the Ministry of National Security.

I tried to find out from PICA how long it would take the ministry to decide to grant the citizenship of doubt or not to grant it, but the officer said he did not know and could not state a time.

Please see what you can find out for me.

DB

Dear DB

PICA has advised us that citizenship applications other than for descent take two years to complete.

The process is lengthy in your case because PICA has no lineage or birth certificate to assist them in their investigation. The investigation is very detailed and several agencies such as the police, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Health and the RGD could be involved, it was explained to Tell Claudienne.

PICA said that the investigation was completed, their recommendation was made and the file was sent to the National Security ministry. The ministry will review the file and make a decision, the PICA spokesperson said.

She said that the matter should be finalised before the end of the year at the latest.

“As soon as PICA receives the ministry’s decision we will contact the applicant, or the applicant can call us from time to time to see how the matter is progressing, the PICA spokesperson said.

Good luck.

Dear Claudienne

I worked with the JOS for a number of years, but when I retired in 2007 I was working at a hardware store in Portmore. I applied for the NHT refund and took in all the documents to the Morant Bay NHT office.

In 2008 the NHT refunded me $11,068. However, I have not got the employer’s portion of the refund from the NHT.

Could you kindly have the NHT clarify this matter.

UD

Dear UD

The NHT explained to Tell Claudienne that under the NHT’s Contributions Refund programme, contributors are only entitled to refunds of contributions they have made. Contributors are not entitled to the employer’s portion, the NHT said.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.