By Michael Kofi Kenetey
The Director General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kofi Osafo-Maafo, has re-emphasised their commitment to safeguarding the belief that pensioners, SSNIT contributors, and stakeholders have bestowed in them to manage the Trust to their benefit.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo hinted that SSNIT is committed to transparency, openness, communication and also ready to address the concerns of pensioners and stakeholders. The Director General was speaking during the Health Screening Exercise for Pensioners and Engagement between SSNIT and the leaderships of the Eastern Regional Chapter of the National Pensioners Association in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The Pensioners Engagement brought together the leadership of the District Executives of the National Pensioners Association in the region to have a discussion on what the Trust is doing on behalf of pensioners, contributors, and stakeholders. The engagement was also to help address the concerns of the pensioners in relation to their pensions and deliberate on how to improve upon the services offered to the pensioners in the region. As part of the engagement, the pensioners were taken through a health screening exercise for free.
This is to help promote the good health and well-being of the pensioners in the region.
In an interview with GBC News, the Director General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Kofi Osafo-Maafo, noted that despite the challenges confronting the Trust such as demography, economic challenges, among others, which are peculiar to countries in Europe, the scheme still remains strong.
He noted that as of August this year, SSNIT has paid three point seven billion Ghanaian cedis to over 250,000 retired workers in the country. Mr. Osafo-Maafo reiterated that the idea of selling the 60 percent stake in their hotels has been shut down as a result of concerns raised by the unions and stakeholders of the Trust.
He outlined some reasons SSNIT thought it appropriate to engage one of the major stakeholders of the Trust.
The Koforidua Local Chairman of the National Pensioners Association, NPA, Jacob Adantey, reading a speech on behalf of the General Secretary of NPA, Stephen Boakye, hinted that despite challenges, the SSNIT pension scheme has been the lifeline, providing security, dignity, and hope to retired workers in the country.
He emphasised that since the scheme began paying monthly pensions in 1991 to date, SSNIT has never reneged on the payment of pensions to Pensioners.
The Chief Actuary of SSNIT, Joseph Poku, assured pensioners that the SSNIT scheme will continue to invest wisely and manage its surpluses well to earn the profitable return for the trust. He mentioned some benefits that SSNIT contributors stand to gain when they retire.
