No need to extend the retirement age to 65 – Labour Analyst tells SSNIT

Labour Analyst, Austin Gamey, has kicked against the possible increment regarding the retirement age from 60 to 65 years in Ghana

The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, recently announced at a press briefing in Accra, that his outfit was in a discussion with the government and Labour unions over the decision.

According to Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, reviewing the age would not only ease the burden on the Trust, but also increase contributions as his
outfit pays pensions of contributions as old as 100 years, and in this manner stretching out the retirement age to 65 years should be critically looked at.

Speaking in an interview, Austin Gamey indicated that there will be absolutely no need for the upturn when juxtaposed against the unemployment rate in the country

“Honestly, I don’t think under the present population growth and the unemployment situation and the kind of age factor that we have in the country, we need to increase the age of retirees. We just have to leave it where it is. Everybody should retool him/herself so that when you come out of business at age 60, you can manage your life as a private person better until death calls you. There are more jobless people in this country and people must retiree early, so others can fill into the space,” he said

Austin Gamey emphasized that it is judicious to permit the old to retire ahead of schedule, for the more youthful ones who are coming from school to take up the various work positions.

‘I hundred percent disagree with their proposal. Those who are coming from school must also be able to replace the retired. That is what should be done. We don’t need them to increase the age from 60,” he added.

Recall in February 2021, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, during a vetting process by the Appointments Committee in Parliament, called for a review of Ghana’s retirement age for people in the public service.

He suggested that the age ought to be changed from 60 to 65 years. Subsequently, the then Minister-designate for Labour and Employment,
Ignatius Baffour Awuah, in response to the matter, indicated that further consultations must be sought to that effect, adding that any review of the retirement age must fully address the pros and the cons.