CAP 30 for all Security Services – Bawumia announces

Cabinet has approved the placement of all security agencies under one pension scheme in order to ensure uniformity of benefits.

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, made this known at the graduation parade for 150 cadet officers at the Prison Officers Training School in Accra.

He stated that all security agencies are now to be placed under the CAP 30 pension scheme.

“I am happy to announce that cabinet has approved the placement of all security agencies under a single pension scheme, CAP 30.

“Personnel of the Prison Service, Fire Service, Police and Immigration are all going to be placed under CAP 30, which the military is already under,” he indicated.

Currently, the CAP 30 pension scheme is funded by direct budgetary allocations from the consolidated fund.

However, public servants who qualify for CAP 30 still contribute 5% of their monthly salary (deductible at source) while the government (employer pays 12.5% of their employees’ respective salaries to SSNIT.

In April last year, the Employment and Social Welfare Ministry informed the Public Account Committee of Parliament that Cabinet had granted approval for all pension schemes under Act 766.

This was to ensure that all members of the security agencies, except officers and men of the Armed Forces, make personal contributions to the SSNIT Pension Scheme.

However, police officers did not welcome the news, forcing the government to backtrack.

COVID-19

Dr Bawumia further said that the government is working closely with the service to improve the health system within the prisons, in the wake of COVID-19 ourbreak.

“It is well understood that the disease spreads quickly in enclosed places like prisons which are commonly the epicentre for infectious diseases. This is of great concern to the government, particularly where there is overcrowding.

“In addition to the 40 medical personnel seconded from GHS, the government has provided the prison with all the COVID-19 safety materials. I will like to commend the administration for the quick response to the COVID-19 threat,” he said.

He mentioned the creation of the risk communication teams in all prisons as one of the notable initiatives the government put in place.

He then charged the graduands to carry forth the ideals of the Prisons Service which have been imparted into them in the course of the training.

The ceremony was the climax of the last of four batches of the 1,500 new entrants for the service drawn from varied professional backgrounds ranging from accounting, agriculture, education, engineering, medicine and social sciences.

Junior Under Officer Amos Benang won the Commandant’s Award, while Senior Under Officer Dr Florence Djoletoe, who was best in Academics, also emerged as the Best All-Round Officer Cadet.