The Chairman od the association, Dan Adane, said the gesture from the government was a timely intervention “given the present economic conditions, particularly the cost of living”.

At a get-together to mark the fifth anniversary of the branch at Kasoa, near Accra, Mr Adane also appealed to the government to improve the economic situation in the country to make life easy for retired citizens.

He said the cost of living had gone so high that pensioners could not afford the high electricity and water tariffs.

"We thank the government for the recent pension increments, but the government should do more to mitigate the suffering of pensioners," he said.

The branch was formed by five senior citizens on August 26, 2015.

They were Alhaji Joseph Danah, Frankline Cofie Dadzie, Rebecca Dorwunu, Lazarus Badohu and James Hagan.

"We have more than 80 members now, and we are working hard to acquire a permanent structure to meet our growing number," Mr Adane said.

A leading member of the association, Nicholas Baffour Gyima-Yeboah, who chaired the function, commended members of the association for their dedication , he said, had sustained the association.

Mr Gyima-Yeboah further called on retirees to join the association to make it more viable.

"Retirees are supposed to be vocal in their deliberations to enable government solve the problems confronting them," he said.

The Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional Pensioners Association, J. T. Lartey, congratulated the branch association on their hard work which had made it possible for the anniversary celebration.

He advised members of the branch association to unite and to stay as a family to ensure the growth of the association in the coming years.

Honours

The founder members were honoured with citations and pieces of cloth bearing the association's emblem.

Mr Dadzie, on behalf of his colleagues, expressed gratitude to the association, and gave the assurance that they would maintain their membership till the last moment of their lives.