Story By: Sheila Satori Mensa
The Ghana police Service together with the Police welfare scheme has organised the 1st steering group Annual General Meeting(AGM) 2020 to at the Police Church in Accra.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2020, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr James Oppong explained that, the welfare scheme was established in April 1999 to resolve the short term social economic needs of personel.
Adding, It was wholly rolled out as a non-profit scheme by the then IGP Mr JYA Kwofie with Nana Owusu Nsiah as the Paymaster General.
Over the years, the scheme has operated with a compulsory monthly deduction of fixed amount from the salaries of personel, regardless of rank and the monies.
These deducted monies are placed in a pool whiles a portion is given to personnel in need of financial support in the form of loans to address their respective personal challenges.
The scheme also serves as a resources used to purchase household items such as fridges, television, sound systems, roofing sheets, among others for personnel on hire purchase basis, IGP Mr James Oppong, said.
Observing with key interest, the IGP Mr James Oppong noted, the re-activitation of the Welfare Steering Group by the current DG/Welfare Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwah Addo Danquah is refreshing and worth commending.
The Steering Group consist of representation of personnel from all the Regions across the country.
“I wish to congratulate you on your nomination and urge you to formulate constructive and sustainable strategies to effectively manage the Scheme for the benefit of all personnel”, he acknowledged.
Adding “Critically examine all proposals and convince yourself so that you can effectively explain them to your colleagues on your return to your regions”.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr James Oppong stating the various reasons why the Welfare Scheme is of utmost importance to the Police Administration.
Explaing that, personnel are considered as the pivot around which the success of administrative and operational mandate of the Service revolves-thus, the wellbeing of personnel is fundamental to the achievement of the mandate of the Service.
Secondly, personnel are the sole contributors to the Scheme and as a result, the Police Administration owes it a duty to ensure proper management and accountability of the Scheme, to enhance its multiple motivation effects on the attainment of the organizational goal.
Thirdly, it is to ensure fair and effective implementation of the Scheme to the benefit and satisfaction of personnel.
IGP Mr James Oppong in his final statement adviced the gathered Police personnel at the AGM not to affiliate themselves with any political party as the country goes to the polls on December 7th, 2020.
On her part, the Director-General /Welfare Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwah Addo-Danquah noted that the concept of employee welfare has been used by many organisations as a strategy to improve productivity of employees.
Also used to alleviate critical socio-economic problems of employes therefore improving the human development capacity at the workplace.
However Maame Tewa noted that, work related problems can lead to poor quality of life for employees which do affect the performance and productivity of the workfoce.
The above challenges according to her necessitated the formation of the Ghana Police Welfare Scheme by the Police Administration.
DG/Welfare Mrs Maame Tiwah said over the years, lots of reforms have been undertaken to ensure the scheme live to its expectation and currently, major reforms are ongoing to ensure personnel benefit from the enormous intended benefits of the scheme.
Notable among them includes the formation of the Steering Group, upward adjustment of the Police Welfare Scheme Loan from GHC 12,000.00 to GHC30, 000.00,upward adjustment of the bereavement fund, online application of the welfare loan.
Mrs Maame Tiwah therefore called on all Police pwrsonnel to be a member of the Wlefare Scheme as the Service works to enahnce and improve their living condition as well benefit from the enormous intended benefits of the scheme.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
