The Social Protection Directorate (SPD) under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has on Thursday, 16th June 2022 engaged stakeholders on Increasing Access to Social Security and Social Insurance for the informal sector workers in Accra.
The stakeholders engagement was also aimed at fine-tuning from the government officials and relevant experts, a way forward in providing a workable roadmap as well as facilitating the social protection scheme in order to serve as a buffer against shocks and risks for workers in the informal sector of the economy.
Addressing participants at the engagement on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Director for Social Protection Directorate, Dr. Rita Owusu-Amankwah lauded the stakeholders for their expertise in addressing the plight of the vulnerable towards contributing to the mandate of the Ministry to promote and protect the welfare of the citizenry.
Dr. Owusu-Amankwah continued that government through the Ministry has adopted and is implementing social protection scheme; thus, social security and social insurance among others to empower the citizenry and guarantee them the relief from poverty.
“Ghana is currently implementing a National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) which anticipates that by 2030 poverty and vulnerability are reduced through the provision of efficient social assistance,” she said.
She went on to state that government through the sector Ministry is poised to increase access to formal social security and insurance for all, mostly the informal sector workers in the country.
Dr. Owusu-Amankwah admonished the stakeholders to do due diligence and focus on the policy to ensure that the livelihood and welfare of workers in the informal sector is secured.
The Director however, urged all to engage in the discussions and come out with a workable intervention to cater for the social security schemes and services.
Meanwhile, the stakeholders also discussed the proposal for the development of a roadmap and framework to facilitate the extension of social protection to the informal sector economy.
Present at the meeting were officers from; Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Social Protection Directorate, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Department of Labour, Trades Union Congress, Social Security and National Insurance Trust, National Pensions Regulatory Authority, National Insurance Commission, State Insurance Company Ltd, Provident Life Insurance Company Ltd, Glico Pension Trustees, Pentrust Limited, Enterprise Trustees, Hedge Pensions Trust, Daakye Pensions Trust and Unique Insurance Company Ltd
