Assin Foso (C/R), Dec. 1, GNA - The Assin District branch of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has said it would "advise itself" if the government fails to restore the Cap 30 pension scheme by January 1, 2004.

At a meeting chaired by its district chairman Isaac Mensah at Assin Foso the branch called on the government to put teachers on the pension scheme, "without any further delay."

The meeting also discussed the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and said teachers in the district support the stance taken by its national leaders and all the leaders in the labour front against the two-and-half per cent deduction from SSNIT contributions to finance the scheme.

The teachers said in as much as the association agrees with the laudable broad objectives of the NHIS act, they are "not comfortable with some aspects of the act and other related contentious issues."

They several factors such as the government's indebtedness with regard to the payment of absorbed school fees and the district assemblies Common Fund were "clear warnings" that its intention to borrow the two-and-a half per cent from workers contributions, "is not the best".

Heads of departments and Senior Staff Association in the district also held a meeting to discuss the two pension schemes.

They noted that the continued placement of some category of public servants on the Cap 30, while others are on the Social Security Scheme is discriminatory and breeds hatred among the labour front.

On the NHIS, the heads and senior officers called for a careful study of the proposed bill and suggested the implementation of the scheme by smaller secretariats instead of the establishment of a national bureau that will administer the scheme on a countrywide basis