The Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) has embarked on a CAP 30 pensioners national identification card and biometric data verification exercise to link the National Identification Authority (NIA) numbers with the pension database.

The exercise, which commenced early this month, was also meant to clean up the database to ensure payment of benefits to legitimate pensioners.

A statement signed by the Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, and released to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said the verification exercise would take place at room 103 of the CAGD head office, all CAGD regional offices, various pension association offices and meeting points and finance offices of all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

It said the exercise would end on August 31 this year. 

Eligible pensioners

It, therefore, urged all eligible pensioners to adhere to the timeframe to ensure they continue to receive their pension benefits without interruption.

“The verification exercise which commenced from July 3, 2023 will span two months and end on August 31, 2023.

“All eligible pensioners must adhere to the timeframe to ensure they continue to receive their pension benefits without interruption,” the statement emphasised.

To ensure smooth and successful verification, the statement indicated that “all pensioners must present the Ghana Card (copy of the front and back), pension advice and Pension Form One.

It further explained that pensioners who did not have the pension advice and Pension Form One could submit the front and back copies of their pension identity card in person at the designated verification centres.

Pensioners abroad

Touching on Ghanaian CAP 30 pensioners residing abroad, the CAGD statement said that category of pensioners were also required to participate in the verification exercise.

In that regard, it urged them to submit copies of the required documents to their respective foreign missions.

“Those who do not have the Ghana Card must still submit the other documents together with their completed life certificates to the missions while taking steps to obtain their Ghana Card,” the statement added, and advised pensioners to contact the nearest CAGD regional office and finance offices of any MMDAs for any clarification regarding the CAP 30 pension and verification exercise.

So far, the Greater Accra Region has a total of 25, 372 CAP 30 pensioners while the Ashanti Region has 8, 869 members.

The Bono and Ahafo regions have 3, 898; Central has 4, 745; Eastern has 8, 153 and the Northern Region has 2, 709.

The Upper East, Upper West, Volta and Western regions have 1, 971, 808, 5,673 and 4, 272 respectively. 

SOURCE: GraphicOnline