{"id":612378,"date":"2019-05-02T15:38:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-02T15:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"
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\"Highest<\/p>\n
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\"Highest
\nDirector-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang <\/span>
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\n\"Right\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The highest\u00a0paid pensioner for 2019 earns\u00a055,000 Ghana cedis a month, with the second person earning 50,000 Ghana cedis.<\/p>\n

This was disclosed by the Director General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), \u00a0Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang on Citi TV<\/strong>\u2018s Point of View<\/strong> show on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

He, however, said the number of people who earn around such amount does not constitute up to 1% of the pension benefits SSNIT handles.<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy highest paid pensioner earns about 55,000 Ghana cedis a month, that\u2019s for 2019, the next one is 50,000, [and] the next one is 45,000. The percentage of people who earn such is very minimal, it is less than 1% of the pensioners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There have been complaints about low pension payments with many accusing the Trust of shortchanging pensioners.<\/p>\n

But Dr. Tenkorang said the benefits are based on the contributions and salaries of workers, meaning what people get from SSNIT depends on what they put in.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe benefits that are prescribed by law under the SSNIT pension schemes anchors the benefits that you pay on the salary on which you contributed. So if you contribute on low salary or dodge your contribution, you should not expect to get more. You will get what you put in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He said the lowest pension paid in 2019 was 300 Ghana Cedis.<\/p>\n

He attributed the low pension payments to the failure of some employers and employees to contribute enough while in active service.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0 Dr. John Ofori Tenkorang, the current situation is not a deliberate attempt by the Trust to deprive pensioners what is due them.<\/p>\n

On International Workers\u2019 Day, yesterday [Wednesday] organized labour in Ghana took to the streets to protest poor conditions of service.<\/p>\n

The placards focused on inadequate pension benefits were in line with the theme for this year\u2019s May Day Celebration, \u201cSustainable Pensions for All: The Role of Social Partners\u201d<\/p>\n

There have been concerns that most pensioners are unable to live decent lives because the pension benefits provided them by the state institution are woefully inadequate.<\/p>\n