The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has expressed deep concern over what he calls the “unfair and discouraging” treatment of pensioners under Ghana’s Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) system.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Carbonu lamented that many hardworking Ghanaians, particularly public sector workers, retire in hardship due to inadequate pension benefits.
“It is very worrying and discouraging. For some years now, workers have been disappointed. SSNIT didn’t do well. People have gone into a pension without receiving what is due them,” he said.
He added that pensioners are often forgotten after years of service, noting that in Ghana, once a person retires, “you lose your voice and you are neglected; your views become irrelevant.”
According to Mr. Carbonu, a key challenge lies in the structure of public sector salaries, where a large portion of income comes from allowances that are not factored into pension calculations.
“Most of the money we receive for our work, the majority is allowance. So if you are receiving 6,000 cedis, 30 to 40 percent is allowance. The painful thing is that the moment you go on pension, the allowance is swept out and they calculate the retirement with the statutory base pay,” he explained.
He noted that this results in retirees receiving meagre monthly payments that do not reflect their years of service, leaving many to struggle in old age.
Mr. Carbonu called on the government and SSNIT to review the pension computation system to ensure fair and dignified treatment of workers after retirement.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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