The National Service Secretariat has made optional the initial mandatory national service insurance policy to service personnel in the country.
The secretariat in a press statement signed by the Acting Executive Director Ussif Mustapha said the policy has now been made optional for interested national service personnel who wish to sign on.
The National Service Scheme (NSS) in October asked all regional directors to ensure the deduction of Ghc15.00 from the allowances of all National Service Personnel effective November 2017, as part of the implementation of the compulsory insurance package for personnel.
Read GH¢15 deduction from NSS allowance to be effected in November
The Insurance scheme was to ensure that National service personnel who suffer permanent or temporary disability through accidents during the service year will be entitled to GH¢15,000 insurance cover, while GH¢3,000 will also be made available to service persons who suffer accidents that will keep them off their duties at user agencies for a month.
Scores of personnel protested the decision and signed a petition titled: “Say no to a compulsory Insurance policy,†to prevent executives of NASPA from deducting the amount.
But a statement from the NSS dated Wednesday December 13 said the service at an emergency executive council meeting of the National Service Personnel Association, NASPA, after a broad consultation with stakeholders on the policy and how best to serve the interest of the service personnel decided to suspend the mandatory monthly deductions of GHS 15.00 of national service personnel.
Read also: CHRAJ petitioned over mandatory NSS insurance package
The statement further urged service personnel to remain calm as concerns regarding the policy are been addressed.
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