The Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Dr. John Kofi Tenkorang has underscored the need for self-employed individuals to register with them.
He said although the scheme has been designed for every worker, only a little above 1.7 million people representing about 11% of workers in the country are actively contributing.
Out of this figure, only 17,006 are self-employed representing about 1% of the entire active contributors.
He was addressing a stakeholder engagement with leadership of the Islamic community at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, on Thursday, July 21, 2022.
He admonished the Islamic leaders to use their positions and mosques to encourage their members and followers to register with the scheme especially the self-employed.
Expressing his concern on the low patronage of the Trust, he said the statistics must be of concern to all.
He said SSNIT pays benefits which are far superior than any other insurance benefits in the country.
He said the Act stipulates that minimum contributions must be made on the approved monthly minimum wage.
The maximum contribution to the Trust shall not exceed 13.5% of a maximum amount to be determined by the Trust periodically in consultation with the NPRA.
He said the major reason why SSNIT is embarking on the stakeholder engagement is that the law enjoins it to extend coverage, and also for them to be able to have a stable society and robust and not prone to poverty.
“So we need to make sure we reduce old age poverty so that when you are old, you will not be a burden on your children,” he said.
The meeting, held today in Accra, forms part of a series of stakeholder engagements to seek stakeholder buy-in and support to extend coverage of the SSNIT Scheme to the self-employed and workers in the informal sector.
He said it is a misconception for anyone to say that there was no need for self-employed to enrol onto the Basic National Social Security Scheme.
Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang explained the benefits of the SSNIT Scheme and the value they provide to Members.
These benefits include Superannuation (Old age) Pension, Invalidity Pension, Survivors’ Lump sum, and Emigration Benefit.
He added that the “Trust pays you till you pass on and the Scheme provides a life policy by paying survivors when a Member passes on”.
For Members who can no longer work due to permanent disease or illness, the Scheme also pays such Members Invalidity pension regardless of age and with very minimal contributions.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ghana Muslim Mission, Office of the Vice President, Ahamadiyya Muslim Mission, Office of the Naional Chief Imam along other recognised Muslim groups.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
