A pensioner, Dr. Nana Sefa Twum, has appealed to the government to increase public sector salaries and review Ghana’s retirement age from 60 to 65 years to promote fair pensions and strengthen the labour force.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Dr. Sefa Twum observed that the low pensions many retirees currently receive reflect the poor salaries they earned during their active years of service.
“Someone is receiving as high as GH₵140,000 monthly pension, while others get as little as GH₵400. For such people, nothing will change even in 200 years if they were to live that long, because their salaries were too low and they didn’t adequately plan for retirement,” he lamented.
He explained that improving public sector salaries would not only ensure a decent standard of living for workers but also guarantee better pension benefits after retirement.
Dr. Sefa Twum also proposed that Ghana’s retirement age be reviewed to 65 years, arguing that the change would enable workers to contribute more to national development and ease the burden on pension funds.
“If the retirement age is extended by five years, more people will be contributing to the pension scheme while fewer will be withdrawing. That will strengthen the fund and also help workers better prepare for retirement,” he noted.
Citing global trends, he pointed out that most Western countries, including the United Kingdom, have retirement ages above 60, with the UK currently at 67 years.
“In many developed countries, no one retires at 60. By that age, people are more experienced and still capable of working. It is not true that everyone at 60 lacks the strength to contribute,” he stressed.
Dr. Sefa Twum, a strong advocate for labour reforms and sustainable pension systems in Ghana, urged policymakers to prioritise salary adjustments and retirement reforms to promote fairness and long-term economic stability.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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