Cocoa farmers to embark on protest march over delay in pension scheme roll-out

The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) has vowed to demonstrate against government over the delay of the implementation of their Pension Scheme and Mutual Health Insurance policy.

President Akufo-Addo’s government promised to implement the pension scheme policy for farmers in 2017.

The National Pensions Regulation Authority (NPRA) and COCOBOD Ghana in collaboration with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) were tasked to deliberate on how to establish a pension scheme for the cocoa farmers under the 3rd Tier Pension Scheme.

In January 2019, all members of Cocoa farmer cooperatives were said to have been registered under the scheme. Yet, some farmers say they have not been enrolled under the policy with the worry that government has been silent over the modalities SSNIT was assigned to perform.

“We do not understand why Government has been silent on our pension scheme and mutual health insurance; we have not even received a draft copy of the policy,” Mr. Anane Boateng, the National President of GNACOFA rendered.

Mr. Boateng stated GNACOFA had received a lot of intimidations from COCOBOD ever since it petitioned government to implement the policy adding the body will resist any attempt from COCOBOD and other institutions from lobbying government to stop the policy’s implementation.

The association is also considering staging a demonstration against Government over the delay promising to come up with the protest date after its June 28 meeting.