Sunyani, Jan. 16, GNA – The Right Reverend Dr Festus Yeboah-Asuamah, the Anglican Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, has lauded the ‘Tier Three Pensions’ scheme of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
He, therefore, advised particularly Christians in the informal sector to take advantage of the tier three scheme for a secured future.
Rt Rev Dr Yeboah-Asuamah gave the advice during a sensitization forum on pensions on the sidelines of a five-day synod of the Sunyani Anglican Diocese underway in Sunyani.
The Bono Regional Office of the NPRA extended the forum to educate the synod on its activities and mandate.
Describing the tier-three scheme as a step in the right direction, Rt Rev Dr Yeboah-Asuamah said the pension would lessen people’s economic burden during old age.
He gave the assurance that the diocese would collaborate with the NPRA to ensure the majority of the informal workers in the church joined the scheme.
Earlier, Mr Williams Ohene-Adjei, the Bono Regional Manager of the NPRA, advised the leadership of religious organisations and churches to encourage their members to join the scheme.
The tier-three pension scheme, he explained, targeted and provided a secured future for workers in the informal sector, including petty traders, artisanal workers and business entrepreneurs.
Mr Ohene-Adjei said aside from the spiritual growth and development of members, it was the responsibility of churches and other religious bodies to ensure their members had a secured future in order not to be a liability in old age.
He, therefore, entreated the clergy and religious leaders to take advantage of the scheme and use the pulpit to intensify education for their members to understand, develop interest and join for their benefit.
Mr Ohene-Adjei said it was unfortunate that out of the 85 per cent of workers in the informal sector, only four per cent were enrolled on pensions.
GNA