April 2024

Ghana. Public sector workers to strike May 2 over pensions

The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions has hinted at plans to stage a nationwide strike if government fails to resolve all issues bordering on the implementation of pensions for public sector workers. The Forum, in a notice, revealed its members will embark on a strike from Thursday, 2 May 2024, if by Tuesday, 30 April, issues relating to the implementation of pensions for public sector workers remain unresolved. “Notice is hereby served,” the Forum indicated. The Forum is made up...

February 2024

Ghana. 600,000 Self-employed enrolled on SSNIT pension scheme

Since the launch of the Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED) initiative by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), some 600,000 self-employed persons have been enrolled on the programme, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said. He did not immediately mention the number that joined monthly but noted that, these self-employed persons were now having some form of social security cover. The President announced this when he laid the State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Parliament in Accra on Tuesday. “Mr...

Ghana. Teachers unions angry over unsettled tier-2 pensions, others

Teachers' unions across the nation are growing increasingly frustrated about the government's failure to fulfil their tier-2 pension contributions dating back to April 2023. The outstanding amounts owed to these unions reportedly reach into millions of Ghana cedis. Despite deductions being made by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), sources within the education sector say that these funds have not been transferred to the Ghana Education Service Occupational Pensions Scheme (GISOPS). The government's decision to seek a bailout from the International...

Ghana. 71,000 Self-employed enrolled onto Tier 1 pension scheme — SSNIT

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has enrolled over 71,000 informal sector and self-employed persons onto the state-run Tier One pension scheme. The significant increase of contributors from 14,200 to 71,000 as of May last year followed the implementation of a self-employed enrolment drive (SEED) initiative. “The initiative has made it possible for artisans, carpenters, masons, tailors, auto-mechanics and traders to contribute towards their pension. “SSNIT has targeted to enrol about 10 per cent of the 3.6 million self-employed Ghanaians...

Ghana. SSNIT supports pensioners’ healthcare with GHC1million

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has presented a cheque for GHS 1 million to the National Pensioners Association’s (NPA) medical scheme. The contribution is in fulfilment of a commitment by SSNIT’s management made in 2017 to prioritise the well-being of pensioners under the SSNIT Scheme in the country. Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of SSNIT, speaking at the ceremony in Accra, reaffirmed the Trust’s support for the activities and welfare of the Association. The commitment, he stressed, demonstrated the Trust’s...

January 2024

Ghana. Health sector occupational pension scheme launches new mobile app to enhance services

Health Sector Occupational Pension Scheme (HSOPS) has launched a new mobile application to enhance services to its tier-two pension scheme beneficiaries. The mobile application will allow beneficiaries to access and update their information, follow up on their contributions as they are provided with in-dept analysis of their investments. It also provides a link to the HSOPS website which connects every member to the main database where each member could track their contributions, access and print membership certificates, make benefit projections and...

Ghana’s Pension Regulator, NPRA, appoints new CEO

President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed John Kwaning Mbroh as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA). Mr. Mbroh, whose appointment takes effect from 1st February 2024, replaces Mr. Hayford Atta Krufi who proceeds on retirement after holding the position since 2017. Mr. Mbroh is a management member of the NPRA and currently the Director of Standards and Compliance at the Authority for the past six years. He has taken charge of the core mandate under Section 7 of Act 766 of 2008...

Ghana. Academic activities to halt as SSA-UoG, FUSAG declare ‘indefinite strike action’

The Senior Staff Association-Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG) and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSAG) have declared an indefinite industrial action with immediate effect. The decision follows, among other things, the failure of the government to address the above bodies’ concerns regarding pensions and the reversal of what they describe as an illegal cancellation of their overtime allowance. Speaking at a news conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, in Accra, the National Chairman of the SSA-UoG, Isaac...

Ghana. SSNIT to intensify campaign to enrol more self-employed

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is to intensify its initiative aimed at roping in more informal sector and self-employed persons in Ghana onto the state-run Tier One pension scheme. Riding on the successes of last year when it launched the Self Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED), SSNIT believes that a more aggressive approach to push the initiative will attract more people in that bracket to secure them a better future when they retire. The Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John...

November 2023

Ghana. GMA demands retirement salary for members, improved conditions of service

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is demanding that government put in place measures that will ensure all of its members continue to receive a salary even after retiring. The President of the Association, Dr. Frank Serebour tabled the demand at the 65th General Meeting of the Association on Monday, November 13. In his address, Dr. Frank Serebour said the conditions of service of doctors must also be improved. “We need to be protected from workplace hazards, we need to be given accessible...