By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, June 14, GNA – The National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) has called for the inclusion of financial literacy in the nation’s second and third-cycle education curricula.
This, according to Mr Hayford Attah Krufi, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPRA, would make pension schemes relevant to the younger generation.
He was addressing the opening session of the grand finale of the maiden Bono Regional Pensions quiz competition for selected Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the region.
The Bono Regional Office of the NPRA in collaboration with the Bono Regional Directorate of Education organized the competition with St. James Seminary SHS, Notre Dame Girls SHS, Odumaseman SHS, Sunyani SHS and Nsoatre Sacred Heart SHS contesting in the final.
It aimed at raising awareness of pension sustainability and the need for students to embrace pensions for sound future financial security.
Mr Krufi expressed worry the youth did not either see or recognise the relevance of pensions, hence the need to make them understand so they would accept, and join and contribute to pensions in their working life.
“A recent study found that institutional sustainability is one of the most important accelerators of sustainability and that schools can play a significant role in the push for pension sustainability,” he stated.
Mr Krufi said the Authority believed the youth was indeed the lifeline of the nation’s economy, and it was therefore imperative to encourage and motivate them to enrol in pensions after school.
“We vehemently believe the adoption of the pension awareness quiz will trigger the much-needed enthusiasm in pension-related issues and encourage participation in pension enrolment”, he added, hoping the competition would stimulate the interest of the students in pensions.
Mr Gabriel Antwi, the Bono Regional Director of Education, described the competition as timely, saying it would greatly help the students and the general public to understand pensions and called on the working class to invest in pension schemes to guarantee future financial
security.
He said as public servants were mandated to pay the tier one and tier two pensions, it was also necessary for the private sector to also join, contribute and invest in the tier three pension scheme.
Odeneho Dr. Afram Brempong II, the Paramount Chief of Suma Traditional Area who presided commended the NPRA and called on it to intensify public education on pensions for more people to join.
GNA