TEACHER ADVOCATES FOR SSNIT CONTRIBUTIONS AND CALLS FOR REFORMS TO ENHANCE PENSION BENEFITS

 By Gifty Botchway

Dedicated teacher, Mr. Benjamin Kodjoe, with six years of experience at Nungua Presbyterian School Junior High School, has shared his insights on the importance of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension scheme and called for reforms to ensure contributors fully benefit from their investments.

In an exclusive interview, Mr. Kodjoe expressed his familiarity with the SSNIT system, emphasizing its critical role in securing the future of workers. He explained that, according to SSNIT laws, employers are mandated to contribute 13.5% of their employees' salaries to the scheme. He highlighted that the pension scheme is divided into two main types, with SSNIT being the primary one. 

Mr. Kodjoe, who has been contributing to SSNIT for years, stressed the importance of the scheme for long-term financial security. "Everyone wants to gain more, and that's why I contribute to SSNIT. If I have more income and contribute more to SSNIT, it will reflect in my future benefits," he said. He added that even if he were self-employed, he would still prioritize contributing to SSNIT because of the assurance it provides for old age. 

However, Mr. Kodjoe acknowledged that the system is not without its challenges. He expressed concern about contributors who pass away before they can enjoy their benefits. "People who contribute to SSNIT sometimes die along the way and are unable to enjoy what they’ve worked for. The government should find a way to ensure that contributors benefit from their contributions while they are still alive," he suggested.

Despite these concerns, Mr. Kodjoe rated SSNIT’s transparency system a 4 out of 5, commending its overall structure and operations. He also urged the government to encourage more workers, especially those not currently enrolled in SSNIT, to join the scheme. "The government should influence those who are not in SSNIT to contribute so they can have a plan for themselves when they feel stranded. Even a small pension is better than nothing at all," he said.

Mr. Kodjoe also shared his perspective on the benefits of SSNIT for retirees. He noted that while pension payments may not match the salary earned during active service, they still provide a crucial safety net. "Even though pensioners receive something small from the government, it is still beneficial. It’s better than having no support at all," he stated.

As a teacher, Mr. Kodjoe emphasized the reliability of SSNIT for his future, especially when he is no longer working for the government. He believes that the scheme is a vital tool for financial planning and security, urging all workers to take it seriously.

Mr. Kodjoe’s insights shed light on the importance of SSNIT in Ghana’s social security framework while calling for reforms to make the system more inclusive and beneficial for all contributors. His advocacy serves as a reminder of the need for continuous improvement in pension schemes to better serve the workforce and secure their futures.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CAP 30: A RELIABLE PENSION SCHEME FOR SERVICE PERSONNEL

Image
 By Vera Dorgbefu Divisional Security Inspector, Immigration service, Mr. Peter Tetteh shared his thoughts in an interview on the CAP 30 pension scheme. CAP 30 which he basically understands to be the pension trust fund for them, prepares them to have an easy after-work experience. Administered by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), CAP 30 is a pension scheme in Ghana that provides security persons with a guaranteed benefit after serving the country for a number of years. This is done by the public servants contributing 5% of their monthly salary while the government contributes 12.5%. "I think CAP 30 is reliable enough and I would prefer it to SSNIT or any other pension scheme. He added that he believes it is reliable because during years in service, he has never for once heard anyone complains about having a problem with their benefits after retirement. According to him, there has been several complaints from public sector workers after retirement on not be...
Read more

GROUP MEMBERS PROFILE

Image
 EMMANUELLA ERICA BRUCE PRODUCER AGNES FRANCESS FYNN OCRAN WRITER GIFTY BOTCHWAY DEPUTY PRODUCER ABDUL RAZAK MUNIRATU LOCATION MANAGER GIFTY TACKI E DIRECTOR STELLA ADANSI BAFFFOUR PHOTOGRAPHER|VIDEOGRAPHER|INTERVIEWER EDITH BENKYI AGYEI RESEARCHER CORNELIA ADOM ANTWI PHOTOGRAPHER|VIDEOGRAPHER|INTERVIEWER  MAVIS AHIANYO VIDEO EDITOR VERA DORGBEFU SECRETARY
Read more

DO PUBLIC WORKERS KNOW HOW PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS WORK?

Image
By Agnes Francess Fynn Ocran Public school teacher, Mr. Nicolas Adu Boahene said in an interview with UniMAC-IJ student, who is also a member of the SSNIT Civic Voice that 17% of his salary is deducted on a monthly basis to settle his SSNIT contribution. He said this after he was asked the percentage of his salary taken to settle his SSNIT contribution.  This is untrue because 13.5% of his salary is deducted, and not the 17%.  His statement proves that some public sector worker don't know the exact amount taken for their SSNIT contribution. If workers don't know the percentage of their salary taken to settle SSNIT, it will be easy for them to jump to conclusions in case of any irregularities. However, after Mr. Adu Boahene was told by a member of SSNIT Civic Voice that the percentage taken is 13.5%, he suggested that the National Pensions Regulatory Authority and SSNIT should educate SSNIT contributors on the amount deducted and how to check for any irregularities. Also, there...
Read more