May 2023
11May

Ghana. SSNIT expands coverage of basic social security scheme to self-employed persons

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has launched the Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED), a product geared towards expanding coverage of the basic national social security scheme to self-employed Ghanaians. Dr John Ofori-Koranteng, Director-General of SSNIT, speaking at the launch of the product in Kumasi, said the aim was to redefine social security in Ghana and give hope to the self-employed to be able to retire in dignity and comfort. In pursuit of this agenda, the management of SSNIT had...

May 11, 2023
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April 2023
20Apr

Kenya. Retirements Benefits Authority Woos The Jua Kali Sector

The Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) is eyeing the jua kali sector as it begins to roll out its services to counties, RBA Deputy Director Peter Ngunyi has said. Ngunyi who was speaking during the launch of RBA service desk at the Nyeri Huduma Centre, said that in addition to bringing services closer to retirees in the counties, they were also looking to tap into the informal sector which constitutes 80 per cent of the labour market. He further explained that the...

April 20, 2023
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11Apr

Ghana. Traditional leader urges informal sector workers to join tier-three pensions

Nana Akrapim Baffo Agyentaduahene IV, the Paramount Chief of the Nkoranza Traditional Area in the Bono East Region, has urged artisanal workers to register and join pension schemes for their own good. He said pensions did not only provide financial security for the aged, but also help the aged live stress and depression free lives. He said the aged required stress-free life to live longer and achieve their goals and aspirations. The Paramount Chief gave the advice when personnel of the Bono...

April 11, 2023
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05Apr

Aging, Inadequacy, and Fiscal Constraint: The Case of Thailand

By Phitawat Poonpolkul, Ponpoje Porapakkarm & Nada Wasi We use an overlapping generations model to study the challenge in developing countries with a large informal sector and aging populations. We use Thailand as a case study and incorporate its labor market structure and its public pension system into the calibrated model. Unlike developed countries, workers in developing countries commonly transit from the formal sector to the informal sector, which can be in the early stage of their working life. This...

April 5, 2023
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March 2023
28Mar

Ghana. Government rolls out pension scheme for cocoa farmers

Government, through Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has rolled out the Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS) to ensure a decent pension for cocoa farmers, improve their welfare, and also make farming attractive to the youth. This comes after the Cocoa Management Systems (CMS) recorded some momentous strides after piloting the scheme for three weeks in August 2021 in New Edubiase and some other districts in the Ashanti Region. Just as government and private sector workers contribute during their working life, it has...

March 28, 2023
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16Mar

Zimbabwe. NSSA expedites informal sector programme as it decries paltry 24% population coverage

The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has decried the fact that just a paltry 24% of the working population is entitled to the scheme’s coverage amid plans to expedite a pensions program for the informal sector. Millions of Zimbabweans are currently failing to qualify for pension subscriptions with NSSA because of rising informal companies which are easily evading subscription with the social authority. Speaking to media practitioners during the launch of the 2023 Insurance and Pensions Journalists Mentorship Program, NSSA acting...

March 16, 2023
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10Mar

Legal & General U.S. Gig Economy study

By Sir Nigel Wilson, John Godfrey & Edyta Borowy (Legal & General) The data was collected via online survey fielded to individuals sample sourced from YouGov’s US panel. The survey scripted and hosted on Gryphon, YouGov’s proprietary survey scripting platform and the field work took place between August 19 and 31, 2022. 1,044 surveys of freelancers and self-employed workers between 18 and 60 years old, non-student/non retired drawing 60% or more of their income from gig work were completed. Key...

March 10, 2023
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09Mar

Legal & General’s new report on women in the U.S. Gig Economy finds income disparity, multiple roles, worry about financial future

32% Average Pay Gap between male and female gig workers. A special International Women’s Day report in a broad new study sponsored by Legal & General Group (LGEN, LGNNY), U.S. Gig Economy Special Report: Tasked With Both Childcare and Earning, Women Fall Behind Their Male Counterparts, was released today. The report continues narrating original research on the changing U.S. workforce and the reluctance of so many to enter into traditional employment. The study looks into the diversity and differences as...

March 9, 2023
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03Mar

Pension Provision in Thailand

By Robert Palacios & Himanshi Jain This report documents the current state of pension provision in Thailand and options for reform that would increase the adequacy and sustainability of the pension system. While the focus here is on income support, the welfare of the elderly depends on many other government policies ranging from labor market policies to aged care and health services. It is also important to assess the pension system in terms of its broader impact on fiscal sustainability...

March 3, 2023
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February 2023
24Feb

Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s president, wants to smother the gig economy

On february 22nd fleets of taxi drivers went on strike and tried to block roads in over two dozen cities in Colombia. Their beef was with Gustavo Petro, the country’s recently elected left-wing president. They cheered when Mr Petro’s administration said that it was going to regulate transport apps, such as Didi and Uber, which are illegal in the country. But his government’s proposals, which were leaked in January, created uproar among ordinary Colombians: one draft suggested they would...

February 24, 2023
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