Pensioners to Receive Cheques in New Customer Friendly Format

Beginning this month, pensioners across the island will receive their certificates and cheques from the Accountant General’s Department (AGD) in a new customer friendly pressure sealed format.

In an interview with JIS News, Accountant General, Carlene Murdock, said the change is part of an ongoing process of modernization at the AGD.

She noted that a Modernization and Programming team at the agency has been meeting and looking at how to improve the system in place for pensioners.

“So, we are sending out the life certificates and the pay slips in a pressure sealed envelope this month,” Ms. Murdock said.

Pressure seal mail is a high efficiency and low cost alternative to traditional mailing, and eliminates the need for envelopes by combining the document and mailing information into one.

Ms. Murdock pointed out that monthly, over 35,000 pay slips and life certificates are prepared for pensioners islandwide.

“In the past, we would take anywhere from three to five weeks to mail out these 35,000  mail pieces. Now, once you pressure seal them, it’s going to take about two or three hours (and) that is tremendous,” she added.

Ms. Murdock said this will not only result in increased efficiency and conservation at the AGD, but will also be of great benefit to pensioners.

“It will give the pensioner at least two to three weeks lead time on what he or she has to send back to us,” she noted.

In the meantime, she informed that a public education campaign will be launched to give pensioners more information about the new pressure sealed envelopes.

“We want them to know that this is what we are doing. The life certificate will come in this format, and nothing has changed…it is the same pay slip but a different format,” the Accountant General said.

Recently, the Jamaica Public Service Company started using pressure sealed envelopes to issue monthly bills to its customers.