The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) says it has prosecuted 5,344 defaulting employers in 2021 alone.

Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang made this known at a stakeholder sensitization workshop in Accra on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, on the merger of SSNIT numbers and NIA numbers of members of the Scheme.

According to him, “This year alone, we’ve had to prosecute 5,344 defaulting employers. “

He added that “As I have said on many occasions, we take no delight in prosecuting employers. Our expectation is for every employer to pay contributions on time but when they fail to pay, even after protracted periods of engagement and negotiation, then we have no choice but to prosecute because of the obligation placed on us by law.”

Merger

Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang said the Trust will create avenues for people to have the merger done on their phones by dialling a short code or USSD and also the SSNIT website.

However, those who cannot use any of these methods can also walk in to any SSNIT office to be assisted to merge their numbers.

He noted that after the merger has been completed, Members can use their Ghana Cards to transact business with the Trust.
“The plan is that from 2022, the Ghana Card will be the only accepted means of identification required for Members to transact business with SSNIT and we believe that with your support and partnership, we can definitely achieve this goal”, he said.

Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang hinted that from July 2021, new joiners will be required to have Ghana Card before joining the SSNIT Scheme.

The Trust has also outlined a number of stakeholder engagements this year. These engagements are expected to ensure continuous dialogue with stakeholders and strengthen the partnership that exists between them and the Trust.

In his remarks, the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah commended Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang for the level of openness and inclusiveness with which he is managing the Scheme.

The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations,Ignatius Baffour Awuah, praised Management of SSNIT for bringing together players in the pension industry to ensure a successful exercise.

He indicated that such a tripartite approach is the way institutions should go in promoting industrial harmony.

According to him, “When organisations engage stakeholders before the introduction of new programmes or initiatives, it reduces anxiety and suspicion from them. This is particularly important in circumstances where the relationship between employers, labour and SSNIT has not always been exactly cordial”.

“After the merger is done, I am optimistic it will bring down further the average 10 working days it takes for SSNIT to process and pay benefits to retirees”, he added.