WORKERS
in
the
formal
and
informal
sectors
across
the
country
have
been
entreated
to
invest
in
the
voluntary
Provident
Fund
and
Personal
Pension
Schemes
(tier-3)
to
enable
them
to
reduce
“old-age
poverty.”
According
to
a
Zonal
Head
of
the
National
Pensions
and
Regulatory
Authority
(NPRA),
Mr
Yakubu
Fuseini
Alhassan,
the
tier-3,
supported
by
tax
incentives,
was
targeting
workers
in
the
formal
sectors
to
provide
additional
funds
for
them
to
enhance
their
pension
benefits,
apart
from
the
mandatory
first
tier
and
second
tier.
Also,
those
in
the
informal
sectors,
according
to
him,
would
receive
monthly
pensions,
as
well
as
lump
sum
benefits
when
they
retired.
Mr
Alhassan
who
is
in
charge
of
the
five
regions
in
the
north
said
these
during
a
day’s
media
engagement
workshop,
held
in
Bolgatanga
of
the
Upper
East
Region.
He
said
the
workshop
formed
part
of
a
yearly
routine
event,
aimed
at
educating
stakeholders
to
grasp
the
essence
of
contributing
to
the
Social
Security
and
National
Insurance
Trust
(SSNIT).
He
said
the
organisation
had
observed
a
lot
of
workers
had
retired,
looking
“dejected
and
cast
down”
because
they
never
took
contributing
to
SSNIT,
especially
on
the
tier-3,
seriously.
“A
lot
of
people
go
on
retirement
with
frustrations
because
they
had
something
meagre
to
take
home.
So
we
are
trying
our
best
to
provide
education
on
the
benefits
of
the
Personal
Pension
Scheme,”
he
said.
He,
therefore,
called
on
the
media
to
see
it
as
their
prime
responsibility
of
shedding
light
on
activities
undertaken
by
the
NPRA
to
soar
workers
contributions
to
all
the
tiers
(first
tier,
second
tier
and
third
tier).
Among
the
engagements
the
organisation
had
been
undertaking
to
leverage
workers’
contributions
to
SSNIT,
he
indicated,
was
market
activation,
which
targeted
at
encouraging
the
informal
sector
operators
to
join
the
Personal
Pension
Scheme.
“We
want
to
have
a
healthy
retirement
at
old
age
so
we
are
calling
on
you
to
perform
your
role
of
disseminating
information
to
the
public
on
pension
issues,”
he
added.
He
disclosed
that
the
yearly
education
exercise
being
embarked
by
the
institution
across
the
country
over
the
years
had
achieved
some
considerable
results
because
there
was
great
improvement
in
the
SSNIT
contributions
of
workers.
He
hinted
that
plans
were
far
advanced
to
establishing
district
offices
of
NPRA
to
fast
track
the
routine
sensitisation
to
workers,
especially
those
in
the
rural
setting,
to
join
SSNIT.
Mr
Alhassan
mentioned
other
benefits
of
the
3rd
tier
scheme
as
secure
and
regular
source
of
income
during
retirement;
safety
and
security
of
funds;
survivors
benefits;
provision
of
decent
and
improved
living
standards
while
on
retirement;
and
so
forth.
FROM
FRANCIS
DABRE
DABANG,
BOLGATANGA