Pensioners advocate for review of SSNIT Law

Pensioners in Jaman South have called for review of the Pensions Law to ensure equity and fairness for all pensioners in the country.

The call was made at an inaugural meeting of the Jaman South District branch of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners’ Association of Ghana on Thursday at Drobo.

Vice-Chairman of the Association, Mr Stephen Kwasi Djan, appealed to Parliament to review the SSNIT Pension Law of 1965 for fair and equitable benefit of all pensioners.

He complained that the name, ‘SSNIT Pensioners’ was discriminatory as compared to that of ‘Government Pensioners’, popularly referred to as “CAP 30”, and therefore appealed to Parliament to review the SSNIT Act of 1965 that established the Trust “to ensure equity and fairness for all”.

Mr. Djan said although both SSNIT and Government Pensioners served government of the day during the period of active service, the former received lower remuneration than the latter upon retirement.

He expressed concern about unjust and unfair treatment meted out to members of the ‘SSNIT Pensioners’ by the government and alleged that “Government could go to the SSNIT Board to take funds to service debts in other sectors of the economy to the disadvantage of the Pensioners”.

Mr. Djan said members of the Drobo Branch of the SSNIT Pensioners Association had been excluded from invitations to participate in the yearly Republic Day Anniversary get-together for Senior Citizens on July 1.

He said that was a big omission by the organizers of that annual function and that the invitation be extended to them in subsequent ones.

Ms Dora Tamea, Jaman South District Chief Executive, pledged to help the Association to acquire office accommodation to facilitate effective organization and to also offer advisory services to the younger generation.

Mr. Joseph Crentsil, District Secretary of Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), advised teachers in the area to increase their contributions towards the Teachers’ Fund for the betterment of their future.

The Pensioners in a forum questioned why ‘Government Pensioners’ could get back-pay anytime Government increased salaries of workers but Pensioners under SSNIT did not benefit.

They cited rather a SSNIT Pensioner under a monthly pay of GH¢300.00 received 10 percent or less as increment at the behest of the Trust but to the detriment of the Pensioners.

Mr. Badu Yeboah, former Jaman South District Director of Education who chaired the meeting, advised the general public to discard the notion that a Pensioner was a dull-minded person.