The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has hinted at far-reaching plans to build a 500-bed hospital to take care of the health needs of officers.
The move, according to the Authority, is part of measures to particularly cater for the health needs of retired officers whose health conditions deteriorate due to ageing after active service.
The Acting Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Bismark Kissi, revealed this in response to a concern raised by the leadership of the retired Customs officers.
Ernest Samuel Ackwerh, President of the Retired Customs Officers Association (RECOA), at their annual get-together, as well as 70th and 80th birthday anniversaries of some retired officers in Accra described the current one thousand Ghana Cedis annual medical bills refund for a retired officer woefully inadequate, given the cost of seeking medical attention in Ghana currently.
“Thousand cedis as medical expenses refund for retired officers who had worked tirelessly to raise revenue for the nation…we feel is an insult to our persons,” he stressed.
Given this, Mr Ackwerh proposed that a different arrangement be made concerning their medical issues since the current situation is discouraging.
“I suggest that the GRA make health insurance arrangements for us because even the increment we are calling for will be negligible,” he added.
The RECOA President also had reservations about the current management of contributions in support of retired officers.
He said: “We contributed to support the Retired Customs Officers Fund during our active service, however, we are not happy with how the current executive is handling the fund.”
The Acting Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Bismark Kissi, who represented the Commissioner General, in a sharp response, disclosed a resolve at a recent management meeting that medical expenses of retired officers and their spouses would, henceforth, be fully taken care of.
Additionally, he said the organisation had gone far with moves to establish a 500-bed hospital to resolve the medical concerns of officers.
The Acting Deputy Commissioner of Customs, in response to another request by the retirees, revealed the organisation’s intention to build its recreational centre.
“We have gone far to acquire land at Kwabenya to put up our recreational centre. We hope that this plan comes to fruition for us to gather and enjoy at our clubhouse and not be at the facilities of our sister organisations,” he noted.
Retired officers who had turned 70 and 80 years were given a token of GH¢300 and GH¢500 respectively, in addition to citations for being alive ten and twenty years after retiring from active service.
The retirees were advised to avoid junk foods, alcohol and promiscuity but engage in moderate exercise to keep them more active.
