The Ghana National Cocoa Farmers Association (GNACOFA) has vowed to demonstrate against government over the delay of the implementation of their Pension Scheme and Mutual Health Insurance policy.
President Nana Addo’s government promised to implement the pension scheme policy for farmers in 2017, therefore, the National Pensions Regulation Authority (NPRA) and COCOBOD Ghana in collaboration with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) were tasked to deliberate on how to establish a pension scheme for the cocoa farmers under the 3rd Tier Pension Scheme.
National President of GNACOFA, Mr. Anane Boateng said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, assured them that plans are far advanced towards the establishment of a Pension Scheme for cocoa farmers across the country.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark this year’s May Day at the Black Star Square in Accra, President Akufo-Add confess about 90% of workers in the country operate within the informal sector, hence the need to put measures in place to attend to their pension needs
In January this year, all members of Cocoa Farmers Cooperatives were said to have been registered under the scheme, yet, the farmers have not been enrolled under the policy and “Nana Addo’s government has been silent over the modalities it assigned SSNIT to perform”.
“We do not understand why Government has been silent on our pension scheme and mutual health insurance; we have not even received a draft copy of the policy….” The statement of the National President of GNACOFA, Mr. Anane Boateng.
According Mr. Boateng, GNACOFA has received a lot of intimidation from COCOBOD ever since it petitioned government to implement the policy.
Nevertheless, GNACOFA will resist any attempt from COCOBOD and any other institution that will maneuver and manipulate to stop government from passing the policy.
However, the Association is ever ready to stage a massive demonstration against government of Ghana over the delay of the implementation of the policy.
GNACOFA will unveil the date for the demonstration after its meeting on Friday, June 28 with members.
They will deliberate on the issues of Small holder cocoa farmers welfare, Challenges of Cocoa farmers in the country, cocoa farmers and mutual health scheme as well as interact with the press.
Source: Austin Ofori Addo/www.ritefmonline.org
