Don't privatise SSNIT- pensioner

Mr. Isaac Kwadwo Obeng, a retired senior officer of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), on Thursday urged stakeholders to review the pension scheme to better serve the interest of workers.

Speaking at a news conference in reaction to mixed feelings on the future of SSNIT, including proposals for its privatisation, following media allegations of corruption and mismanagement against SSNIT management, Mr. Obeng said; "My candid view is that SSNIT may have its shortcomings. To address this, we should be careful in not jeopardising the interest of the very vulnerable and poor worker we wish to defend," he said.

He noted that if the SSNIT expectations are not forthcoming, then stakeholders such as the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Civil Servants Association (CSA), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Ghana Employers Association (GEA) should come together to reform it.

"We should be careful of interest groups who are only interested in managing the fund and not the interest of workers as such," he emphasised.

Mr. Obeng also suggested the formation of a Pensioners Association at workplaces to enable workers to discuss retirement issues long before they retire. He stated that the time has come for pensioners to be represented on the SSNIT Board.

"In developed countries such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, basic pensions are administered by public bodies and we need to be wary of attempts to undermine our pension scheme," he cautioned.

Mr. Obeng asked the authorities to exercise caution so as not to turn SSNIT into a government by making it what it is not.

"SSNIT is a statutory public trust set up basically to run the National Social Security Pension Scheme for the working population of Ghana covering the following contingencies - old age, invalidity and Death," he added.