Local Ghana news headlines today

The General Secretary of the Ghana Mine workers’ Union  (GMWU), Mr Prince William Ankrah, has advocated the raising of the retiring age from 60 to 65 years.

He has, therefore, called for a national dialogue on the pension age in the country.

That, he said, would allow for more years of contributions to the pension schemes for payment of enhanced benefits to pensioners.

Mr Ankrah was speaking in Accra at a special get-together and raffle draw for members of the Ghana Mine Workers Union to start activities marking the 75th anniversary of the union.

The more than 750 mine workers had the opportunity to win about 200 items on display for the raffle draw which included  air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, water dispensers, microwaves, laptops, galaxy tablets, 43 inch digital flat screen television sets, automatic rice cookers, blenders, electric irons and multi-purpose sound systems.

Aside the raffle draw, each of the participants received special anniversary souvenirs.

Pay levels

Mr Ankrah also called for an improvement in the pay levels of workers to help boost their contributions to the pension schemes.

“There is need for a re-thinking in respect of the  present generation retiring at age 60 to 65 so that they can contribute more to build the pension fund and again make sure that the pay level of this country also goes up very well so that we can have a good pensionable income,” he said.

The General Secretary of the GMWU commended the managements of the various mines for their ethical consciousness in not toying with the pension contributions of mine workers.

Mr Ankrah gave an assurance to the members of the GMWU that the issue of better pension was always a priority of the union’s leadership in view of the hard work associated with mining.

“Actually, for pension to be sustained, it will mean employers paying their contributions on time as required by law and I must indicate that the mining industry does very well in that context”,  he stated.

SSNIT arrears

Mr Ankrah urged the government to ensure the timely release of pension contributions because when arrears accrued, “they affect the investment plans of SSNIT and other pension schemes and this invariably affect benefits in terms of pension incomes”.

A federal grand jury in the United States of America has indicted a Ghanaian native on charges of passport fraud, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and illegally voting.

This year’s Fetu Afahye has been launched in Cape Coast with a call on the people to advance the development of the Oguaa Traditional Area.

Illegal mining (galamsey activities), sand winning, erratic power supply and ageing equipment have combined to create water shortage in some parts of the country.

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has pruned about 12, 424.4 hectares of cocoa farms this year in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions as part of its Productivity Enhancement Programme (PEP).

Members of the Greater Accra Peace Council have attended a training programme in Accra to enhance their capacities. They also discussed ways to best address conflicts in the region.

The Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) is partnering the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to consider the inclusion of poor households living with persons infected and affected by HIV, in the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

The Embassy of Israel in Ghana is wooing the Israeli business community to relocate in Ghana and also seek partnership with their Ghanaian counterparts.

The Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) has called for intensive, conscious and deliberate national efforts to fight the canker of child marriage in the country.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advisory Unit in Ghana has launched its first ever national car raffle to raise awareness of the global goals in the country, as well as give it mass appeal.

Three Ghanaians have participated in this year’s global Wikimedia Summit (WM Summit) in Berlin, Germany.

The 50th anniversary of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) was last Tuesday launched in Accra with a call on the authority to add value to goods and products exported to the international market to generate more revenue.

The Salvation Army Basic School at Asiakwa in the Eastern Region has been closed following an assault on a teacher of the school, George Somuah Bosompem, which led to his death on May 3, 2019.

A tissue paper manufacturing factory, Brompton Portfolio Limited, has been inaugurated at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison under the government’s ‘One district, One factory’ (1D1F) initiative.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given approval for the release of $230 million to procure rolling stock to operate on the country's railway lines.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has invited the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, to assist in investigations into some recent kidnappings and fire outbreaks.

The Ghana Railways Company has reduced the GH¢5 flat Tema-Accra train fare to GH¢3.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has been given a 12-month extension to operationalise the law that permits Ghanaians living abroad to vote in national elections,  the Representation of the People Amendment Act (ROPAA).

World Bank has approved $19.39 million for Ghana to help reclaim mining areas destroyed by activities of “Galamsey” operators.

There was total mayhem at Asamankese in the West Akim municipality of the Eastern Region when a team of fire service officers dispatched to douse a fire outbreak at Asamankese Kwawu Lane Market Stores were instead attacked by irate youth in the area.