The Trade Union Congress in collaboration with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, (SSNIT) has organized a regional forum to discuss issues related to pensions and benefits computation among others.
The forum is the first of many to be organized nationwide. It is aimed at promoting knowledge of the SSNIT Scheme, empowering organized labor as peer educators for the Trust as well as demystifying some of the issues surrounding the benefits computation and partnering the Trust in compliance enforcement.
These regional meetings are also in compliance with the directive by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, (NPRA) to the Trust to intensify its public education activities and to ensure that, members of the scheme understand how their benefits are calculated.
Speaking to GBC Online, the Director General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori Tenkorang stated that, the Social Security National Insurance trust SSNIT, started as a Provident Fund with a total contribution of 22.5 percent in 1965 which was later increase to 17.5 percent.
The fund was later converted into the pension scheme in 1991, with the passage of PNDC law 247.
The administration of Social Security in Ghana is proudly governed by the National Pensions Act of 2008 which was activated again in 2014 and this law runs concurrently with the PNDC law 247 which has not been admitting new contribution since 2010.
The act introduced the first year mandatory scheme managed by the SSNIT and mandatory second tie scheme managed by a private fund manager and a voluntary third tie scheme managed by private fund managers.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority NPRA, Hayford Atta Krufi made reference to this years’ May Day saying it brought Pension to the fore and the theme that was chosen, “Sustainable Pension for All” was very apt and ties in globally with United Nations’ stake in about how to move Pensions forward into the forefront of workers life.
He explained how the educational forum will be inure to the benefit of workers During open forum, participant centered their questions on retirement and retirement benefits, the past credit act, Act 766 members and credit amount earned on contributions prior to 2010, SSNIT Biometric Ids, next of skin among other pension related issues.
The head of Social Protection of Trade Union Congress TUC, Teresa Abugah stated that, the forum was organized to provide answers to frequently asked questions the forum brought together representatives of Ghana National Association of Graduate Teachers GNAGRAT, Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana CLOGSAG, Industrial Commercial Union ICU, the Judicial Service Association of Ghana JUSAG and the Ghana National Association of Teachers GNAT among others
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti
