Pensioners appeal for upward adjustment of allowance

The Central Region branch of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Association, on Friday appealed to the government to adjust their allowance upwards to enable them lead decent lives.

The members pointed out that about 50 per cent of them earned less than GH₵100.00 a month as monthly allowance, which they described as woefully inadequate.

Addressing a meeting of the Association in Cape Coast to discuss matters concerning the welfare of its members, Mr Edward Ameyibor, General Secretary of the National Pensioner’s Association (NPA) called on SSNIT to ensure that the next indexation of pensioners becomes more human centred.

He noted that SSNIT had invested their contributions and is making a lot of profit hence the need for the Trust to give pensioners bigger dividends.

Mr Ameyibor announced that the National Executive Committee of the Association has plans to establish a charity fund to help pensioners to cater for their health needs especially treatments for heart and eyes diseases which are ailments peculiar with the aged.

He appealed to the Government to consider allocating money from the consolidated fund to cushion the meager monthly allowances of SSNIT pensioners, as being enjoyed by Ghana Government Pensioners (Cap 30).

Mr Ameyibor urged the political parties to place the issues of the aged and pensioners high in their party manifestoes and come out with policies and programmers that would improve upon their living conditions.

He called on the political parties to “cool down the political temperature” before, during and after the 2012 elections.

Mr Ameyibor appealed to the Electoral Commission to create special queues for the aged and the physically challenged to facilitating the voting process.

Mr. Thomas Kwamena Appiah, Cape Coast District Chairman of the Association, advised SSNIT to invest the contribution of members to yield enough dividends.

Source: GNA