Objective  9:  Promotion  and  Protection  of  the  Rights  of  Vulnerable  Groups  including  internally   displaced  persons  and  refugees     3.24   Access  to  public  facilities  by  Persons  with  Disabilities   Despite   the   provisions   in   the   Disability   Act   (Act   715)   new   public   buildings   continue   to   spring   up   with   no   provisions   made   for   access   by   Persons   with   Disabilities   (PWD).   The   President   has   appointed   members   to   the   Disability   Council   but   stakeholders   contend   that   the   Council   lacks   the  necessary  resources  and  Secretariat  to  effectively  carry  out  its  mandate.     3.25   Inadequate  and  insecure  pensions   The  National  Pensions  Bill,  2008  caters  for  the  establishment  of  a  new  contributory  three-­‐tier   pension   scheme   with   a   National   Pension   Regulatory   Authority   to   regulate   and   oversee   the   efficient  administration  of  the  composite  pension  scheme.  The  proposed  scheme  has  benefits     for  workers  in  both  the  formal  and  informal  sectors  including  the  following:   • • • • • • • Improved  qualifying  conditions  for  SSNIT  pensions  (15  instead  of  20  years)  and  survivors   benefits   (calculation   period   increased   from   12   to   15   years)   under   the   first   tier   basic   national  social  security  scheme;   Balanced  representation  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  SSNIT  with  chairmanship  rotating   among  the  Government,  Employers  Associations,  and  Organised  labour.   Improved  second  tier  lump  sum  benefits  higher  than  existing  Cap  30  lump  sum  benefit   and  much  higher  than  that  of  SSNIT.       Using  future  lump  sum  pension  benefits  to  secure  mortgages.  This  means  that  workers   can  obtain  their  own  houses  before  retirement  by  using  their  pension  benefits  as   collateral.     Workers  will  have  better  control  over  their  pension  benefits  under  the  second  and  third   tier  schemes,  which  are  to  be  privately-­‐managed.   The  second  tier  mandatory  and  privately  managed  defined  contribution  scheme  is   equitable  to  all  members  as  amount  of  accrued  benefit  is  directly  related  to  the   contributions  made.     This  will  also  serve  as  a  positive  incentive  for  scheme  members  to  make  additional   voluntary  contribution  in  third  tier  so  as  to  accrue  more  benefits  for  their  retirement.   Pensions  increased  by  16.2  percent   In  line  with  the  Social  Security  Law,  1991,  PNDCL  247  which  provides  for  an  annual  review  of  pensions,   the  Social  Security  and  National  Insurance  Trust  (SSNIT)  has  announced  an  increase  of  Pension  payment   59