B/A GNAT calls for the restoration of CAP 30

Sunyani, Nov. 3, GNA - Mr. Charles Kala, Brong Ahafo Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) at the weekend called on the government to revert teachers to the CAP 30 pension scheme since the SSNIT scheme has not been beneficial to retired teachers.

"The problem of putting teachers back to the CAP 30 scheme is an uphill task that should be pursued vigorously and we will not relent in our efforts to achieve this goal within the shortest possible time," he said.

Mr Kala made the call when the Brong Ahafo Regional Executives of the GNAT met teachers in the Sunyani District as part of a familiarization tour of the region.

He said since the Association approached Parliament on the issue, it had been referred to a number of Ministries without success, "but we will continue to press on until this legitimate demand is met".

Mr Kala explained the position of GNAT on the National Health Insurance Scheme and said that the association even suggested to the last government in 1992 for the institution of such a scheme to alleviate the plight of the needy. the scheme, he added.

Mr Kala said even if the 2.5 percent was taken from workers' contributions to SSNIT, they would still be required to pay premiums to the various District Health Insurance Schemes.

He noted that it had not been written anywhere in the NHIS law that workers and their dependants would be offered free medical care because of the 2.5 percent SSNIT deductions.

"There are a number of unanswered questions within the NHIS law and we call on the government to give satisfactory explanations before the law is gazetted," Mr Kala said.

Mr Kwaku Asante-Nketiah, Sunyani District Secretary of GNAT, expressed concern about the non-payment of allowances due to teachers, such as medical bills and transfer allowances, and called for quick resolution to these problems.

It is regrettable that when nurses sneeze, the government shivers but when teachers talk about their problems, nobody cares even though it takes a well-motivated teacher to produce a dedicated workforce for the running of the country, he added.

The district secretary stated that the Sunyani District GNAT was working hard to improve the welfare of 2,359 teachers in the area and expressed the hope that they would take advantage of a number of interventions that had been put in place to upgrade themselves.