Social Security is a necessity for all - SSNIT

Mankessim (C/R), June 23, GNA - Dr Prosper Ayisah, Takoradi Area Manager of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has said social security insurance is a basic necessity that all Ghanaians should possess.

Dr Ayisah, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on the sidelines of a 'Customer Clinic' programme by SSNIT, said many Ghanaians do not see social security as a necessity and are reluctant to contribute to the scheme.

He said workers who fail to contribute to a social security scheme were likely to face severe hardships in their old age.

'In other jurisdictions, you cannot do away with social security. Everybody, even at birth receives social security number, they grow and start using that number when they are working. But over here, people do not see social security as a necessity'.

'That is why at old age, you will see a lot of people on the street begging for alms or depending on their relatives to feed them, he said.

The SSNIT 'Customer Clinic' is aimed at improving service delivery to the Trust's clientelle to enable them assess their status on the Scheme and seek prompt redress to challenges.

Every year, five days are set aside for the working teams of SSNIT to visit selected establishments in their operational area.

The office pitch tents within densely populated areas with high pedestrian traffic to bring the Trust's service to the doorsteps of customers.

Dr Ayisah said the 'Customer Clinic' provided a superior customer service adding that it was necessary to achieve organisational transformation and operational excellence in the era of technology.

He said it was mandatory for employers to demand social security numbers from employees before issuing employment letters.

He advised workers especially those in the informal sector to register with SSNIT and contribute because it provided members with benefits that were based on exclusive contributions.

Mr Alex Appiah, the Cape Coast Branch Manager, urged employees to ensure that their employers pay their SSNIT contributions and endeavour to report defaulters for the necessary action to be taken.

He also advised them to regularly check their SSNIT statements to confirm whether their employers were actually paying the contributions.

Mr Appiah said it is mandatory for the employer to pay social security on behalf of the employee whenever there was an employee - employer relationship, but noted that some business owners intentionally failed to do so.

He said a chunk of Government workers were without social security numbers in spite of the education programmes by SSNIT and the directive from the auditor general to delete names of workers without social security numbers from the payroll.

GNA

By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA