President John Dramani Mahama has emphasized the necessity of reviewing Ghana’s pension scheme to ensure fairness and satisfaction for all stakeholders. He acknowledged that despite previous reforms, challenges persist within the system. This discussion arose during a courtesy visit by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) to the Presidency.
In his address, President Mahama stated, “With regards to pensions, I’ll be meeting the TUC and organized labour sometime later. During the May Day celebrations, there were issues raised even with the restructured pensions, there are still all kinds of difficulties. I suggested we hold a review conference.” He noted, “It’s been several years since we introduced the pension reform. I think it’s time for us to review it, to see what is working well and what is not, so we can make adjustments and ensure everyone is satisfied.”
President Mahama also propose the creation of a counterpart fund to the Teachers’ Fund to support the construction of low-cost housing for teachers.
Economist Kwame Pianim, a key figure in establishing the Teachers’ Fund, recalled a previous promise of 10,000 housing units for teachers, which was unfulfilled. He expressed optimism that the current administration would honor this commitment.
Mr. Pianim remarked, “One of the best jobs you can have is being a teacher. Here, we tend to underpay our teachers. But with you, as a listening president, I was happy when they said, ‘Let’s go and talk to the president.’” He continued, “I said, with this president, if he tells you he’s going to do something, he’ll do it.
