Some senior citizens in the Upper West region of Ghana have called for a review of monthly pension allowances to reflect current high cost of living.
A member of the Ghana Pensioners Association in the Upper West, Bashiru Mumuni says  the allocations given to pensioners in the upper west region is nothing short of "peanuts" that can’t even feed a young child for a week.
He continued that some Pensioners are given as low as GHS 60, 50 and 40 as a monthly allocation. This ensures they live in consistent hardships and abject poverty
In a related development, The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has increased the monthly allowance of pensioners by 18 per cent for 2017.
A statement issued by Evangeline Amegashie, the Corporate Affairs Manager of SSNIT, explained that the increment would ensure that Pensioners on the SSNIT Pension as at December 2016, would have a rise in their allowance by a fixed rate of more than 15 per cent.
In addition, a flat amount of seventeen cedis, forty one pesewas (GH¢17.41) would be added to their minimum monthly allowance.
The increment which is in line with the Section 80 of the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766), would, therefore, translate into a rise of the current minimum monthly allowance of two hundred and seventy six Cedis (GH¢276.00) to three hundred and thirty three Cedis, eighty one pesewas (GH¢334.81), the statement said.
However, in tandem with the statement from SSNIT announcing the increment at the beginning of the first quarter of 2017, Mr. Bashiru Mumuni has appealed to the Nana Addo led government, as a matter of urgency review the allocation for pensioners on the government payroll in order for pensioners to enjoy the fruit of their labour before death catches up with them.
Meanwhile, President Akufo Addo has directed the Ministry of Finance to pay all outstanding arrears owed civilian employees at the Ministry of Defense following their migration onto the single spine salary structure.
Addressing members of the Ghana Armed Forces at Burma Camp on last week, President Akufo Addo said government is working on reviewing the salaries of personnel.
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