Rescind decision to migrate security agencies from CAP 30 to SSNIT pension scheme – Minority to Akufo-Addo

The Minority in Parliament has described as “retrogressive” the decision of President Akufo-Addo and his Cabinet to migrate the Ghana Police Service, the Bureau of National Investigations, Ghana National Fire Service and other security agencies from CAP 30 to the SSNIT Pension Scheme.

A Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wireko Brobbey had stated that Cabinet has already given the approval for the development of a roadmap aimed at the unification of all pension schemes which is expected to be completed by 2021.

“We ought to take our time and look at the institutions involved, once Cabinet has given the approval, it is now left with NPRA and the committee working on it, to really put in place measures, and it involves meeting stakeholders” he told B&FT in an interview when he accompanied officials of the NPRA to appear before the Public Accounts Committee hearings on Monday.

“It is not something that can be done overnight and so month by month some kind of engagements are going on- for example parliament, have some form of pension regime and we have to engage parliament others like the Audit Service, so all these institutions must be engaged, so hopefully we should look at between now and 2021, we should have a solid kind of unification,” he added.

But a statement from the Minority released and signed by James Agalga, Member of Parliament for Builsa North and Ranking Member, Defence & Interior Committee of Parliament said the decision was unnecessary.

“The Minority unreservedly condemns government’s attempt to remove the Ghana Police Service and other security services from the CAP 30 Pension Scheme,” portions of the statement read.

“The Minority fully acknowledges the harrowing conditions under which the officers and men of the Police service and other security agencies work. For instance, in most cases, personnel of the security agencies work more than the mandatory eight hours a day for all public sector workers. This coupled with the very high levels of risks such as death, injury and permanent disability which personnel of these security agencies are often exposed to; are compelling reasons why they must be retained on the CAP 30 Scheme.

“It is not for nothing that for the entire eight (8) years that the NDC ruled this country from January, 2009 to January, 2017, we never contemplated removing the Police Service, Fire Service, BNI and other security agencies from the CAP 30 Pension Scheme notwithstanding the passage of the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) by an NPP Government,” it added.

Below is the full statement