The Deputy minister-designate for Employment and Labor Relations, Bright Wireko- Brobbey, has intimated that, the ministry will embark on a rigorous education campaign to ensure people enroll unto the pension scheme[SSNIT].
Speaking during his vetting as he faced the Appointment’s Committee, he indicated that, doing this will see to the enrolment of more people unto the scheme to ensure their pension security.
He also disclosed that the challenge the ministry is grappling with is as a result of the penetration of the informal sector.
“What will happen now is for us to take full advantage of the Act 766. As it stands it is even very difficult for people to even understand the SSNIT scheme and enroll unto it.
“Should we embark on education and awareness creation a lot more,;especially for those in the informal sector to be enrolled unto the pension scheme? I think that it will be one of the biggest schemes that we would have done for the country.”
Bright Wireko- Brobbey
Touching on a comprehensive reform to ensure that lots of people are secured during pension, Mr. Wireko-Brobbey averred that the pensions Act is a very comprehensive reform on its own.
This, he said,;is due to the fact that the act that has introduced the 3-tier and tier 2 pension schemes which is providing a platform for every worker to work towards ensuring their pension security.
Commenting on the current decision on the minimum wage per person in the country,;he noted that the determinant of the minimum wage is something that is underpinned in law.
Moreover, he posited that a lot of factors contributed to the current minimum wage which currently stands at Ghc12.53 pesewas.
COVID effect a factor used in considering minimum wage
Mr. Wireko-Brobbey further indicated that one of the factors considered was the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sustainability of jobs in the country. Despite the effect of the pandemic, the minister-designate noted that government has maintained labor force and averred that the current minimum wage was agreed upon as part of efforts to see the nation reach a moderate wage.
“It is done by the tripartite committee. And section 112 of the labour law establishes the tripartite [committee] and makes the Minister for employment the chair. This group comes together to determine the minimum wage.
“This year in particular, the minimum wage was done for two consecutive years that is, for 2021 and 2022. And the obvious reason was that,; last year we could not do this because of COVID and therefore it was deferred to be done this year.”
Bright Wireko- Brobbey
Mr. Wireko Brobbey also revealed that in order for the private sector to employ more people, the employment ministry was modest in its efforts to reach an agreement on the wage. He said the wage was brought to a rate at which the government and the private sector will not be collapsing.
The minister-designate also stated that the ministry has done well in stabilizing the labor in the country. He also thanked the labor unions for their cooperation in ensuring the smooth running off the ministry’s work.
“It is a fact as you allude we have a relatively stable environment regarding the labor front. It doesn’t just come like that; my minister has put in right measures in the ministry.”
Bright Wireko- Brobbey
