The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has set an ambitious target to increase its active membership from 2.1 million to 2.8 million by 2028.
The Director-General, Dr Afreh Biney, announced this during an engagement with Organised Labour, explaining that the Trust seeks to achieve this growth by registering 300,000 new contributors annually.
He noted that expanding coverage will help enhance pension benefits for workers across the country.
Dr Biney underscored the necessity of implementing targeted schemes to encourage the 80 per cent of Ghana’s workforce in the informal sector to register with SSNIT.
He added that the Trust will continue to roll out the Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED) initiative to boost these numbers.
He further explained that SSNIT operates a defined benefit scheme, which guarantees contributors’ pensions under government oversight.
Currently, SSNIT has an active membership of 2.1 million, backed by over 93,000 private sector employing agencies.
Active membership has grown steadily from 1991 to reach 2,136,482.
“If you take a look at our corporate strategy for the next three years, the goal is to increase membership averagely by 300,000. So by 2028, the goal is to have 2.8 million active members,” Dr Biney stated.
Similarly, financial contributions have grown significantly over the same period.
By the end of 2025, total contributions amounted to over GH¢12 billion. As of July 2026, membership stood at 2,179,295, with contributions for the first six months of 2026 reaching GH¢6.7 billion.
Dr Biney highlighted that demographic data reveals an insightful trend: while male contributors outnumber females in both the public and private formal sectors, women dominate the informal sector, accounting for 53 per cent compared to 47 per cent for men.
This highlights the need for SSNIT to deepen its footprint in the informal sector to ensure gender-inclusive coverage.
To improve accessibility, SSNIT is implementing several operational measures, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
These include a co-location strategy with commercial banks to bring services closer to contributors in remote communities, as well as an expanded digital infrastructure that allows members to access services remotely without visiting an office.
SSNIT also recently introduced the Membership Value Programme (MVP), a new scheme designed to offer immediate financial and lifestyle benefits to active workers and retirees. Moving beyond traditional retirement payouts, the MVP features a dual-purpose identification and Visa prepaid card for domestic and international transactions.
The MVP complements earlier reforms, including digital channel expansion, banking partnerships, and a telehealth service for pensioners. Under the MVP, members gain access to a growing network of partner institutions offering discounts on products and services across entertainment, health, hospitality, electronics, and travel.
Dr Biney made a passionate appeal to Organised Labour to support SSNIT by promoting pension literacy and acting as champions for the scheme.
He assured stakeholders that SSNIT will maintain regular engagements with Organised Labour and integrate their feedback to improve service delivery, while urging both Labour and the Ghana Employers Association to encourage compliance.
He pointed out that private sector employees account for over two-thirds of SSNIT’s total membership, while public sector workers number over 600,000.
However, public sector workers generate 43 per cent of total contributions collected.
Assuring members of the scheme’s stability, Dr Biney affirmed that SSNIT remains strong, with assets under management—which fund benefit payouts—nearly doubling over the past 18 months.
The Board Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Nana Ansah Sasraku III, noted that SSNIT, the government, employers, workers, and Organised Labour share a collective responsibility to ensure Ghanaian workers retire with dignity, security, and confidence.
The traditional ruler stated that while SSNIT has served retirees for decades, it must remain sustainable, strong, and relevant for future generations.
He stressed that celebrations should focus on long-term viability rather than past achievements.
He added that the Trust must maintain public confidence through accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement, which has driven SSNIT’s ongoing investments in modern technology.
Speaking on behalf of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah commended SSNIT’s progress while noting there is room for further growth.
He pledged Labour’s commitment to encouraging Ghanaian workers to join the scheme, describing the expansion effort as a positive step that will enhance member benefits, particularly for informal sector workers. On investment management, he advised SSNIT to focus on high-yield ventures.
Echoing these sentiments, Bampoe Addo of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), noted that compared to past years when SSNIT faced heavy criticism, the Trust has made noticeable strides in improving its operations and investment returns.
He emphasized that these investment returns must directly benefit the scheme’s members and reaffirmed CLOGSAG’s commitment to driving registration.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana