Pension Board set up to restore ESB

Accra, Nov. 11, GNA - Government on Tuesday said it has set up a pension board to advice the Controller and Accountant General in order to reintroduce the Civil Servants Pension Scheme otherwise known as "CAP 30" as soon as possible.

Mr Yaw Barimah, Manpower Development and Employment Minister, who announced this on Tuesday, said however, that the date for its restoration would depend on how soon the board and the respective stakeholders ironed out the current technicalities and legalities in the pension system.

"In principle government is not against the reintroduction of CAP 30, we trust that with partnership, we will be able to identify and address the inherent problems of CAP 30 so that it could be re-introduced," he said.

Speaking at "The Meet the Press Series" the Minister said the new pension would be sanitized such that no person who retires and start working again would be made to enjoy.

"People must make a choice as to whether they have retired or not, otherwise there would be abuses in the system. They cannot continue to enjoy pension at the same time receiving salary somewhere," he said. Mr Barimah said the issue needed thorough study since there were many legal implications and apparent financial ramifications.

On the Minimum wage, the Minister said the Government intended to embark on regular and routine contacts and consultations with the interested parties especially the employers and organized labour on a multilateral and even bilateral company or industry level.

"The Ministry would not wait until the wake of agitations for better wages and salaries and service conditions by organized labour before holding talks with the stakeholders for amicable solutions," he said.

He said the national Tripartite Committee would soon come out with modalities to commence a discussion on President Kufuor's call for a national debate on poor remuneration packages in the country. On enforcement of the minimum wage, Mr Barimah said the economic reality was making it difficult for some employers, especially those in the private sector, to pay but added that government was going to put in measures to ensure that sanctions were imposed on the employers who flouted the law.