October 2022
21Oct

Ghana. Public Sector Workers warn government not to touch pension funds in debt restructuring

The Forum for Public Sector Associations and Unions has asked the government not to apply a “haircut” to Tier 2 Pension Funds as part of a “probable” debt restructuring programme. The Forum said it had taken note of media reports suggesting that about 94 per cent of Tier 2 Pension contributions placed in government securities might be affected by the said debt restructuring agenda. At a press conference in Accra today, Thursday, October 20, 2022, Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of...

October 21, 2022
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14Oct

Ghana. SSNIT to begin mass enrollment of informal sector onto pension scheme by January 2023

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has announced the commencement of a mass enrollment of the informal sector onto its pension scheme by January 2023. This announcement was made at the SSNIT Employers’ Breakfast meeting in Accra. According to the Director General, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, extensive consultations with stakeholders in the informal sector and the need to ensure that systems which will enhance the enrollment of the sector onto the scheme are fully operational, are the reasons why the...

October 14, 2022
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07Oct

UK Pension Fund Near-Collapse Is A Warning For America’s Pensions

Autor: Edward Siedle Around the world, there are millions of workers and retirees who are counting upon pensions set up by corporations and governments to provide for their retirement security. These individuals believe they have been “promised” certain benefits and that promises made will be kept. Unfortunately, many pensions are severely underfunded, i.e., not enough money has been set-aside to pay benefits promised. Further, the money in these pensions is all-too-often grossly mismanaged—what I refer to as “gross malpractice generally practiced.” That’s...

October 7, 2022
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06Oct

Ghana. Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme set to take off this month

The much-awaited rollout of the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme is set to commence this month, the Board Chairman of COCOBOD, Mr Peter Mac Manu has announced. According to him, the trustees and implementers of the scheme would be rolling out from district to district to register cocoa farmers onto the scheme to enjoy the pension scheme’s benefit. Mr Mac Menu was speaking at this year’s cocoa day grand durbar which also coincided with the COCOBOD 75th anniversary on the theme “COCOBOD...

October 6, 2022
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05Oct

Ghana. SSNIT adopts mobile money services next week

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) will, from next week, adopt mobile money services as part of measures to enhance service delivery of the Trust. This was made known by the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, at the launch of the Trust’s annual Mobile Service Week at Ho in the Volta Region. With the new services, members can pay their contributions via MoMo, and retirees can choose to receive their pensions via MoMo. “I am happy to announce that...

October 5, 2022
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September 2022
30Sep

Ghana. SSNIT pension scheme continues to post negative return on investments; records -12.6% return in quarter 1 – Report

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) pension scheme continued to post a negative real rate of return, recording -12.6% at the end of the first quarter of this year. According to the Financial Stability Review report by the Bank of Ghana, assets available for benefits of the SSNIT-managed Basic National Social Security Scheme (BNSSS) dropped marginally by 2.3% to ¢11.28 billion in March 2022 from the ¢11.54 billion recorde in 2021 Quarter 4. Also, though the private pensions industry...

September 30, 2022
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27Sep

Ghana. Total pension funds increased by 18% to ¢39.6bn in 2021

Total pension funds of the Three-Tier Pensions Scheme increased by 18% in 2021 to ¢39.6 billion, the latest Financial Stability Review by the Bank of Ghana has revealed. This is however lower than the 27% recorded in 2020. The decreased growth rate was attributable to the ongoing lump sum payments under the private pension schemes and a marginal growth of the Basic National Social Security Scheme (BNSSS). Also, private pension funds continued on a positive growth track in 2021. Total private pension funds...

September 27, 2022
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23Sep

Ghana. NPRA to collaborate with Goasomanhene to promote ‘one trader one SSNIT number’ campaign

The Sunyani zonal office of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has indicated its readiness to collaborate with Nana Kwasi Bosomprah, Paramount Chief of the Goaso Traditional Area on his 'one trader, one SSNIT number' campaign. The idea of the Paramount Chief is to encourage every trader have a Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) number and contributed to the scheme. The collaboration became a reality when Mr David Tetteh-Amey Abbey, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the NPRA...

September 23, 2022
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21Sep

Ghana. Public Services Pensioners Association inaugurated

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), Tuesday inaugurated the Public Services Pensioners Association (PSPA) to support staff on retirement within the Public Services Organisations. The Association would also unite all retirees of CLOGSAG, seek the welfare of members, provide solidarity, promote togetherness, identify problems retirees go through, advocate for the rights of members and lobby the Government to improve the pension system in the country. Mr Bright Wireko Brobbey, a Deputy Minister, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR),...

September 21, 2022
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06Sep

Ghana. Pensions industry loses US$800 million in 2 years to weakening cedi

The Executive Secretary said although the cedi value of assets under management (AUM) has increased, the dollar value of those assets has fallen. Detailing the situation in an interview with the B&FT, Mr. Esso said: “The effect of the [local] currency’s depreciation has affected the assets under management in the pensions industry. In 2020 the industry in cedi terms was about GH¢22billion, and when you juxtapose that with the dollar there was about US$3.8billion. “Currently, we are looking at an estimate...

September 6, 2022
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