Fellow Ghanaian Staff, on this May well Working day 2020, enable us all take care of not to take any a lot more platitudes from our political leaders. Let us need amendment of the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) to make certain that personnel receive unemployment or monetary hardship positive aspects from SSNIT, though we are continue to alive. Platitudes never place meals on the desk.
We have been hearing ‘Ayekoo to our workers’ for umpteen yrs now. Are you not angry, that underneath this exact God’s blue heaven, employees in the United States of The usa are not only expecting ‘Thank you’ from their govt but are also expecting a check (cheque), as element of the US government’s package to aid very low-revenue families to deal with the financial results of the COVID-19 pandemic!
The Pensions Act has designed two necessary tiers of pension that all personnel add to. Employees have no selection contributions to these pension techniques are required. Never intellect the actuality that there is no this sort of matter as unemployment benefit in Ghana, a contributor who faces complicated fiscal moments can not access any portion of their added benefits unless they have retired or meet up with a range of qualifying conditions.
In a latest response to the contact by previous President Mahama for SSNIT to aid contributors who are experiencing monetary problems under the Coronavirus pandemic, SSNIT claimed Act 766 has tied their arms and consequently there is practically nothing they can do to assist employees. Of course, they located it easy to donate ¢500,000 to the COVID-19 Trust Fund, below Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
If you are sitting down at household on this Could Day 2020 as a Ghanaian employee who has been contributing to the SSNIT Pension and you do not know where your following meal will come from, have you heard from the COVID-19 Believe in Fund? Have you acquired any cell cash from the Fund? Have the platitudes from the President and the former President and SSNIT and all those people who declare to have your curiosity at coronary heart converted into cell income for your up coming food?
If you are a Ghanaian worker, I want you to question by yourself the adhering to issues:
• Who are the men and women whose firms get fairness investment from SSNIT in excess of the several years?
• Who are the folks who get contracts awarded by SSNIT in excess of the many years?
• Who are the beneficiaries of all SSNIT investments that have absent terrible more than the yrs?
• How numerous SSNIT Management team have ever been prosecuted and convicted for all the funds that have been dissipated in excess of the yrs, as greatly documented in the media?
The legislation as it stands does not let SSNIT to pay back ‘benefits’ to contributors prior to they retire or die or meet up with a amount of qualifying disorders. But the law enables SSNIT to commit revenue on Company Social Accountability (CSR). If SSNIT have been so minded to assistance contributors during the Coronavirus pandemic, they could come into an arrangement with the COVID-19 Have confidence in Fund and designate that all the CSR expending from SSNIT to the Fund really should be straight remitted to contributors.
It doesn’t make any difference how big or modest the amount of money would be, it would demonstrate that SSNIT does not only care about fulfilling senior management and the elite in modern society who straight benefit from workers’ contribution by way of investments and contracts, but they also care about we the ordinary contributors. Quick of that, workers need to desire fast amendment of Act 766, to make it achievable for contributors to withdraw up to 20-30% of their accrued advantages in moments of unemployment or money hardships. It does not make any sense to retain contributors’ advantages when they experience and die, only for SSNIT to immediately pay back out their added benefits to survivors! That is stupidity!
Enable us demand from customers amendment of Act 766. Permit us make modification of Act 766 an election situation. In the 2020 elections, Ghanaian staff ought to not place their votes on vehicle-pilot. No political bash or politician warrants the votes of personnel unless of course they place forward concrete proposals and timelines to amend Act 766 so that Ghanaian workers, like their counterparts in other parts of the entire world, can obtain unemployment and other economic hardship advantages from SSNIT! The cash belongs to staff. SSNIT is a Trustee, keeping the money in believe in for us.
The legislation was created for workers, not employees for the law. The law as it stands only gain the elite, not everyday personnel. Former President Mahama has place his hat in the ring on this situation. He and the NDC ought to instantly arrive out with concrete proposals to amend Act 766. President Akufo-Addo and the NPP need to also inform personnel what they are going to do about amending Act 766. For me, Election 2020 is a one particular-challenge election: whoever convinces me that they will amend Act 766, gets my vote. As simple as that.
Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako, Accra
Might 1, 2020
