By Samuel Ackon
Assin Fosu (C/R), Aug.13, GNA- Some cocoa farmers in the Assin enclave are excited over the piloting of Cocoa Farmers Pension Scheme (CFPS) in Assin Fosu, Assin Bereku and New Edubiase.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo launched the CFPS in December 2020 with the aim of guaranteeing decent pensions for cocoa farmers in Ghana to have a good standard of living after retirement.
Mr Stephen Kissi from Assin Amoani in the Assin Fosu Municipality of the Central Region in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said he was happy to have his five per cent of the CFPS deducted.
According to the 38-year-old cocoa farmer, he has been farming for the past five years on a nine-acre cocoa farm.
He said he was excited to be part of the CFPS and urged other cocoa farmers to ensure they participated in the pilot scheme to enable them to have a decent pension when they retired from active farming.
In addition, he admonished cocoa farmers to keep their cocoa cards safe as a key requirement to be enrolled on the pension scheme.
Nana Sakyi Sampson, a 63-year-old cocoa farmer encouraged COCOBOD to intensify its sensitisation about the scheme so that others would join to enjoy the benefits.
Mrs Akosua Menua, a cocoa farmer, said she was grateful to the government for the bold initiative and appealed to all cocoa farmers to come on board to secure their future.
Mr David Asare Oduro of the Public Affairs Department of COCOBOD said for 40 years, the COCOBOD law that required pensions to be given to cocoa farmers was on the drawing Board and expressed delight that it was being piloted to enrol all farmers later.
He urged cocoa farmers to sign onto the contributory pension scheme to enable them to have a secured retirement.
He said structures had been put in place to ensure that the funds were in good hands, so bodies like the National Pensions Regulatory Authority, Board of Trustees, Fund Managers and Administrators and the active involvement of COCOBOD would ensure due diligence was always done.
GNA