Government bent on resolving Cap 30 issue

Obuasi (Ash), July 14, GNA - The government is looking at the possibilities of resolving the Cap 30 pension issue on a more sustainable basis to give comfort to retired workers.

Mr Denolley Antwi-Berko, Ashanti Regional Public Affairs Manager of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), who said this appealed to the agitating workers to exercise restraint.

Speaking on the topic "Cap 30 and SSNIT Pension" in a radio programme on Shaft FM at Obuasi on Monday, Mr Antwi-Berko said SSNIT was operating according to the law that established it and therefore could not behave otherwise.

He explained that the law did not permit the scheme to give out loans to contributors.

The Regional Public Affairs Manager said under SSNIT "the higher the salary, the higher the pension".

Mr Antwi-Berko assured the public that under the SSNIT pension, it was no use for retired workers to seek the services of pension contractors before their benefits were paid to them. "It is not good for people to collect their pension benefits through contractors".

Mr Antwi-Berko touched on SSNIT flats and explained that SSNIT was set up for specific purposes and that the flats were built to assist the government to house its workers.

With regards to workers statement of accounts, the Public Affairs Manager said it is given out promptly to workers on request. "This is because, at first they were issued out to employers to distribute to their employees but most employers failed to do so and so, we now issue out statements of accounts on request by the contributors." Mr Abdulai Issah, Obuasi Branch Manager of SSNIT encouraged workers to go to the bank to secure loans to better their lot, since SSNIT could not afford to pay pension for 30 to 40 year olds.

"We will be collapsing the scheme if we should do that", he said.