October 2023

Allianz Pension Report Latam special 2022

By Allianz Research Even before the pandemic, the pension systems of most Latin American countries ranked in the bottom third in international comparison of their long-term adequacy and sustainability in our last Global Pension Report. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a double blow with respect to pension systems’ adequacy: On the one hand, rocketing unemployment rates diminished the share of the labor force in formal employment that is covered by pension schemes; on the other hand, lower contributions to pension...

Ghana. Labour Ministry calls for expansion of pension to cover informal sector

The Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Hamidu Adakurugu, has called for the expansion of pensions to ensure all workers, especially those in the informal sector who make up over 75% of the workforce, are enrolled in a pension scheme. Speaking on behalf of the Sector Minister at the launch of National Pensions Awareness Week, he noted that currently, only 2.4 million workers, which represents a small fraction of the over 10...

Ghana. Total membership of SSNIT Scheme is 1.8 million — Minister

As of March 2023, the total membership of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Scheme was estimated at 1.8 million, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister of Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, has disclosed. This, he said means that about 8.1 million of the estimated Ghana’s working population of 9.9 million might not have any form of social security cover, which shows that leveraging digitalisation to extend social security coverage was long overdue. “The overwhelming importance of digitalisation today...

Nigeria. Informal sector workers demand social protection

The Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria has canvassed for social protection for informal workers, noting that over 90 per cent of Nigerians are engaged in the sector. The call was made by delegates at the 2nd Delegates Conference of the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisations of Nigeria held recently in Lagos. The union argued that government policies have led to the collapse of many industries in the formal sector over the years. This has led to rapid expansion of the...

9 million Ghanaian workers without pension – NPRABY

About nine mil­lion people work­ing in the country without any form of pension risk slumping into retirement without income security, the Head of the Corporate Affairs of the National Pensions Regula­tory Authority (NPRA), Nana Sifa Twum, has stated. He said that between the next five and 10 years, the working individuals without any form of pension would retire poor and become a liability on their families and society if the situation was not addressed. Nana Twum who stated this in an...

September 2023

Extending contribution-based social security schemes for workers in the informal economy and self- employed in Nepal

By International Labour Organization This brief was prepared by André F. Bongestabs and Suravi Bhandary based on the technical note produced by Pierre Plamondon, Senior Actuary, with the support of ILO’s Actuarial Services Unit, as part of the technical support provided by the ILO to the Social Security Fund of Nepal. The brief discusses various considerations that needs to be placed during the design and implementation of contribution-based social security for workers in the informal economy and self-employment. It is...

July 2023

Only 18% of Jamaican workers in a pension arrangement

Only 18 per cent of Jamaican workers are currently in a pension arrangement, a figure  which needs to be increased if the country is to avoid a high rate of poverty among an ageing population in the future, according to local experts in the pensions industry. Sonya Goffe, President of the Pensions Industry Association of Jamaica (PIAJ) said the organisation’s mandate is to advocate for an increase in the number of Jamaicans who will receive a pension and to educate...

“Pensioners Live in Fear”: Only 1 Out of 10 Nigerians Has Access to Pensions

Hamisu Bala Idris, the managing director of Norrenberger Pensions Limited, has exposed the extent of pension reach in Nigeria. The disclosure follows several reports of pensioners across different parts of the country regularly lamenting the non-payment of their pensions, especially by state governors. Idris, during a retirement planning seminar organised to empower individuals close to retirement and retirees for a financially-secured future after retirement in Abuja, disclosed that only 10% of Nigerians have access to pension schemes, as reported by Vanguard. The...

Pensions for all. Proposals for more inclusive pension systems in Latin America.

Edited by David Tuesta y Gautam Bhardwaj One of the pending tasks in Latin America is the development of a pension system that is widely accessible, sufficient and financially sustainable over time. Beyond the different degrees of progress in each of the countries, they all face similar internal and global challenges. In particular, the problems of high informality of institutions and labor markets make the road even more uphill. The recent Covid19 pandemic scenario has highlighted the structural weaknesses of pension...

June 2023

Ghana. NPRA to increase pension penetration by 25% amongst informal sector workers by 2026

Increased pension penetration among employees in the informal sector is the goal of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA). This move, if finalized, will see penetration increase from 6 percent to 25 percent by 2026. The Authority explains that although a section of the informal sector holds misconceptions about pensions, it is committed to its sensitization drive to ensure that its targets are achieved. At a brief ceremony to highlight the end of the SECO project, Chief Executive Officer of the...