November 2021

Ghana. Government explores use of pensions funds for mortgage

The government is exploring the possibility of prospective home buyers using their Tier Two and Tier Three pension funds as initial deposit to support their mortgage plans. The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, who made this known, observed that the quest to provide access to housing for Ghanaians, especially low-to-middle income earners, required sustainable policies and programmes aimed at ensuring that the issue of affordable housing no longer became a myth but a possibility. At the maiden Business24...

October 2021

Ghana. Tier-3 Pension Scheme: Labour Minister seeks support to woo informal sector

The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has called on traditional rulers to join hands with the new Tier-3 Pension Scheme by encouraging people in the informal sector to contribute to the scheme. That, he said, would enable people in the informal sector to enjoy voluntary personal pension payments to cater for their needs at old age. He said chiefs, as opinion leaders, had the clout to influence informal sector workers to take vital decisions such as...

NPRA targets to rope in 11 million workers into pension schemes

Mr. Alhassan Yakubu Fuseini, the Tamale Zonal Manager of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), says the Authority plans to rope in 11 million workers in the formal sector onto pension schemes. He said as the NPRA works to achieve its target, it would also ensure that coverage for the informal sector was increased from the current three percent to 40 percent by 2026. “In order to meet this goal, it will be critical for the pension sector actors including workers...

September 2021

Ghana. Cocoa farmers pension scheme takes off October 2021

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has announced that the much-anticipated cocoa farmers pension scheme will start in October 2021 for cocoa farmers in Ghana. He said that the scheme, once fully operational, would help farmers enjoy a decent retirement benefit after years of active farming, adding, “This adds to the several fantastic strides this government hopes to leave behind.” Mr Boahen Aidoo made this announcement at the signing ceremony of a $1.5 billion...

July 2021

Ghana. Minister for Employment initiates mass pension enrolment programme

The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Barfour Awuah has initiated a mass pension enrolment programme by paying for a year’s pension contribution for 10 individuals in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region. At an outreach program at Asesewa in the Eastern Region, to sensitise people on pensions in the area organised for informal sector workers in Asesewa by the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Mr. Bafour Awuah said the gesture was to encourage the people...

Ghana. GSE boss asks pension funds to boost equity holdings

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), which is experiencing a bull market this year, provides enormous opportunities for pension funds to invest and realise good returns, Ekow Afedzie, Managing Director of the exchange, has said. Read also Ghana. Minister for Employment initiates mass pension enrolment programme Addressing industry players during a workshop under the theme “Maximising Investment Returns Using the Ghana Stock Exchange”, Mr. Afedzi said “though pension fund investments in fixed-income securities continue to increase, the same cannot be said of...

June 2021

Merger of SSNIT numbers, Ghana Card begins on June 28

The merger of the SSNIT and Ghana Cards commences on Monday June 28 with a call on individuals with SSNIT numbers to follow one of three ways to ensure the merger. These include the use of a shortcode as well as the website of SSNIT. In an interview with GBC News, Manager in charge of Corporate Affairs of SSNIT Afua Sarkodie, said the transition period for the exercise is between June 28 to December this year. Already the Trust has held a...

Ghana. NPRA advises commercial drivers to join third tier pensions

The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has called on commercial drivers to register and benefit from the third tier pension scheme for a secured future. Mr Samuel Baffour Awuah, Corporate Affairs Officer of the NPRA who made the call said the third tier pension provided decent retirement packages for beneficiaries. Speaking at separate sensitization exercises held for taxi and commercial drivers in Sunyani, Mr Awuah explained retirement was inevitable and a reality of life, which could not be escaped whether in...

March 2021

Ghana. Low financial literacy responsible for low patronage of pensions by women and informal workers

A Compliance officer with the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) says low financial literacy is the cause of low patronage of the pension scheme among women and people in the informal sector. Lois Asiamah said the lack of adequate and appropriate information concerning pensions has left a lot of Ghanaian women and others in the informal sector unaware of the opportunities and advantages of investing in a pension scheme. She added that due to the lack of financial literacy, people in...

January 2021

Ghana. Odartey Lamptey sworn-in as deputy MD of GCB Bank

Mr. Lamptey was sworn in as the DMD Operations and Executive Director of the Bank on Wednesday, 20th January 2021 by Justice Sophia Bernasko Essah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ghana. The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by the Chairman, Mr. Jude Arthur, and other members of the GCB Bank Board. Mr. Lamptey takes over from Mr. Samuel Amankwah who retired from the Bank in 2020 after 20 years of service in Executive Management and Senior Management positions....