20,000 Opt out of GES-SICLife policy; but GES optimistic of their return
A total of 20,000 teachers and non-teaching staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES) submitted the exit form to be excluded from the GES-SICLife Group Life Insurance Policy.
The Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, who announced this said even though the policy was a government initiative to address the welfare of the GES workers, it was not compulsory and those who felt strongly against it could opt out.
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He was speaking in an interview shortly after the launch of the policy in Accra yesterday during which beneficiaries of five deceased teachers and two incapacitated teachers received insurance package totalling GH¢126,000.
The insurance policy
The insurance policy is a government initiative to help improve the welfare of teachers in the country.
Under the terms of the policy, all employees of the GES in active service are eligible to be members and an amount of GH¢10 would be deducted monthly through the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
Sensitisation
Prof. Opoku-Amankwa explained that after an initial setback with the roll out of the policy in 2018 because of insufficient communication, the two institutions embarked on a sensitisation programme to educate teachers and staff of the GES on the importance of the policy.
He explained that after a whole year of continuous sensitisation programme, the GES and SICLife were convinced that the time had come for the official launch of the policy.
Testimony
Referring to the SICLife Insurance Ambassador, Mr Kwasi Tenkorang Aduonum, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa, said “his testimony is enough admonition to those who are exiting from the policy to rethink their decision.”
Reconsideration
Prof. Opoku-Amankwa was optimistic that by July when the policy would be rolled out, all those who submitted the exit form to be excluded from the policy would rejoin, considering the benefits that the policy attracted.
“Why should someone opt out from such a juicy arrangement,” he queried adding that there was a government’s component to be added to the GH¢10 contribution the teachers would be making.
No fears
Adding her voice, the Managing Director (MD) of SICLife, Mrs Elizabeth Wyns-Dogbe, advised those exiting to reconsider their decision, adding that even though GH¢10 was money, considering the benefits, “it is just wise to be part.”
She allayed the fears of the teachers that the group policy did not conflict with any other investment-based policy that teachers might already have with SICLife or any other insurers.
Benefits
Mrs Wyns-Dogbe said the policy was a comprehensive plan that covered natural or accidental death, permanent disability resulting from accident or illness and a critical illness such as cancer, stroke, major organ transplant and kidney failure.
She said the benefits ranged between GH¢9,000 and GH¢18,000, reminding the beneficiaries that ordinarily, if they were saving the GH¢10 contribution, it would take over 100 years to enable them to get the lump sum of GH¢18,000