The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has inaugurated a Public Services Pensioners Association (PSPA) to effectively support all staff on retirement within the public services organisations.
This is in accordance with the provisions in Article 4 (5) and 6 (2) of the CLOGSAG constitution which requires the provision of welfare for members including retirees.
Inaugurated in Accra, the association’s objective is to unite all retirees of CLOGSAG, seek the welfare of members, provide solidarity, identify problems retirees go through and lobby government to improve pension system in the country.
Chaired by a former head of the Civil Service, Woely Kemevor, other National Executive Committee members comprise Salome Anyeley Ayirebi Acquah, Vice Chairman; Mr Eugene Korletey, Treasurer; Mr Moses Ankrah, Organiser and Trustee, Jemima Opoku.
Commendation
The Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Dr Bright Wireko-Brobby, expressed his excitement on the new association and commended GLOGSAC for coming up with such an initiative.
“The pensions industry is not operating at it fullest potential, and the formation of the pensioners association serves as an additional platform to promote and deepen collaboration of pension reforms”, he added.
He said he was looking forward to working with the executive members to ensure government became more responsive to the needs of all workers and pensioners in the country.
Dr Bright-Wireko further acknowledged how the pensions industry had witnessed tremendous growth and transformation over the past years.
Welfare
The President of GLOGSAC, Dr Evans A. Dzikum, said over the last five years, CLOGSAG had strategically developed and implemented a number of welfare schemes that sought to improve the wellbeing of its members, more especially active staff.
In spite of the gains made during the last five years, he said it was imperative for the leaders to accomplish a few more critical and important goals for members to supplement government’s efforts due to recent and critical issues confronting the country.
He said it was on record that civil and public servants faced a sharp drop in income when they finally retired due to their monthly pension payment which was unavoidably lower than their after tax salaries at the time when they retired.
As a result, Dr Dzikum said many retirees decided to supplement their pension income, more particularly those with pressing family commitments.
Unfortunately, he said majority of them got weaker shortly after retirement and unable to discharge their financial obligations.
