Pensioners go wild over monthly deductions

Some concerned pensioners in the Western Region have directed management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to, as a matter of urgency, stop the monthly deduction of GH¢4.00 from pensioners benefits for a Mutual Insurance Scheme (MHIS).

The national officers of the National Pension Association (NPA), in collaboration with the Mutual Health Authority (MHA), instituted a Mutual Health Insurance Scheme in February 2014 and started deducting GH¢4.00 from every pensioner’s monthly benefits.

The pensioners questioned the viability of the scheme, but the national officers of the NPA made the deductions against their will.

According to the pensioners, they were initially informed that the scheme would cover every disease that did not even fall under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

They have, however, realized that managers of the scheme had violated the original agreement.

They said that the national officers of the NPA had unilaterally decided on what they referred to as ‘Limited Benefits’ without consulting the contributors.

Speaking to BUSINESS GUIDE in an interview, Samuel Kangah, spokesperson of the Concerned Pensioners, noted that such schemes were voluntary and called for the review of the present scheme.

“We were informed by our branch executives that the operation of the scheme was to begin in February 2015 but as at now, nothing concrete is in sight as to when we will enjoy the benefits of the scheme,” he noted.

He stated “we want to remind our national officers that members of the association are all mature people whose level of intelligence and wisdom cannot be underrated and underestimated.

“We have served this nation honestly and with patriotism and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect in relation to decisions, policies and programmes that affect pensioners.

Mr Kangah mentioned that pensioners do not know how much had accrued from the monthly deduction of their pension benefits.

He called on the national officers of the Pensioners Association to update contributors on the development and also explain the cause of the delay of its implementation.

“If over one year the national officers of the NPA cannot see their way clear as to how to implement the scheme, then the best way out is to direct management of SSNIT to stop the pensioners’ monthly deduction,” he stressed.

“We further wish to state that if this appeal is ignored, we, the concerned pensioners, will exercise our legal and constitutional rights to seek redress elsewhere,” he added.