By Damian Avevor
The members of the Ghana Pensioners’ Association have called on the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) to review upwards their retirement benefits because they are suffering due to the miscalculation of their pension contributions by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
Contributing at a Forum at the Christ the King Parish Hall on Monday, October 2 to mark this Year’s 27th World Day of the Aged, the Pensioners said they were living wretched lives due to the government’s huge indebtedness to SSNIT.
The NPRA under Act 766, is mandated to receive and investigate grievances from Pensioners and address them.
The Pensioners called on Government to consider extending the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover major diseases that affect the elderly like Prostrate Cancer as well as taking care of the educational and health needs of their dependents under 21 years.
They also appealed to Government to consider constructing more recreational Centres to entertain themselves and involve more pensioners in the yearly Presidential Luncheon.
The Programme was organised by Christ Our Mission International (COMi) Relief Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation that provides healthcare for the elderly on the theme: Are the Aged Neglected?
The day is celebrated on October 1, every year to raise awareness about issues affecting the elderly and appreciate their contributions to the nation. It was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1990, and was first celebrated on October 1, 1991 to make known to the world issues which affected the elderly as well as to appreciate their contributions towards the nation.
The theme for the global celebration is: Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participations of Older Persons in Society.
Mr. K. B. Asante, retired Diplomat and Statesman, also called on Government to apply the laws that sanctions officials in charge of Pensioners’ benefits who mishandled and or misused their monies.
He noted that it was wrong for any person or government to use SSNIT contributions since it was solely for Ghanaian workers when on retirement and it was legitimate for the various Pensioner Associations to be abreast with how SSNIT contributions were used because it was not for government or any individual.
Mrs. Rosina Akrofi, the Assistant Manager of Corporate Affairs of the NPRA, assured the Pensioners that as mandated by ACT 2008 (Act 766), the Authority would follow up and ensure that SSNIT would always be held accountable.
She educated the aged on the various Tier Schemes, saying that the First Tier Basic National Social Security Scheme which incorporates an improved system of SSNIT benefits, was mandatory for all employees in both Private and Public Sector.
She said the second tier was an occupational Pension Scheme, mandatory for all employees but privately managed and designed primarily to give contributors lump sum while the third tier was a voluntary provident fund and personal pension scheme.
Mrs. Akrofi entreated self-employed persons to take advantage of the Third Tier Scheme to secure retirement income and reduce old age poverty.
Dr. Edward Danso, Chief Executive Officer of COMi Relief Foundation, decried the neglect of the elderly by some families, lamenting that children of today were reluctant in taking care of their parents.
He called for a nationwide education on issues that affected the health and well-being of the aged, saying that “we need to be the change we want to see with our aged,” appealing to Corporate Organisations to support the activities of the elderly.
To help the aged to live a healthy life, he said COMi in 2015, launched the Vision 2030-2050 Projects with the aim that Ghanaians were 45 years and will turn 60 in 15 years, adding that the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, had informed developing countries about the growing number of the ageing population.
He advised the elderly to ensure that they were at peace with themselves, families and neighbours in order to maintain their good health.
The programme, chaired by Mrs. Edith Francois, a retired Lecturer at the University of Ghana, was attended by Very Rev. Fr. Ted Nelson Adjakpey and various Pensioners Associations including those from Achimota, Kotobabi, Adabraka, Legon, Accra Central, Gbawe, and Nima.
