Civil servants want pension issues thrashed out

The Civil Servants' Association has called on the government to initiate, as a matter of urgency, a meeting for the discussion of acceptable Pension Scheme for all civil servants.

The Association said there had been various degrees of interference in the implementation of the occupational pension scheme, otherwise known as Cap. 30 to the extent of bringing about its extinction.

Mr. Smart. Y. Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Association said in an interview at the weekend that for no justifiable reasons, sections of civil servants are enjoying the fullness of the scheme, while others are being deprived and forced to join the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SNNIT) Pension scheme.

Not withstanding that the two schemes are not alternative, the SNNIT Pension Scheme is inferior to the Cap.30, he observed. He said it is inferior in terms of quantum of benefit accruing, then qualifying period for eligibility and circumstances for retirement and eligibility for benefit payment.

Mr. Chigabatia said the Cap.30 used to be a uniform non-contributory pension until 1972, when laws were amended to allow pension contributions to the scheme.

Since then, he said, Civil servants, teachers, the police, Prisons and the Judicial Service were levied five per cent of their salaries towards their retirement benefit.

Mr. Chigabatia said the passage of the Pension and Social Security (amendment) Decree, 1975 SMCD Eight (rpt.8) also required qualified public servants to irrevocably opt either for pension under Cap.30 or the Social Security Provident

Fund scheme, which also compulsorily placed all civil servants, who joined the service on January 1, 1972 on the SNNIT Pension Scheme.

The passage of PNDCL 126, Police (Pensions) Law 1985, PNDCL 165 Public Officers (Pensions) Law and 168 Prisons Service (Pensions) Law 1987 exempt personnel from the police, public and prisons service from SNNIT Pension.

It enabled them to refund their contributions and revert them to non-contributory Cap. 30 pension scheme, he added.

If the SNNIT pension is in the interest of the working people of Ghana why have other sectors of the public service been contracted out of the SNNIT Pension?, Mr. Chigabatia asked.