I delayed SSNIT payment for only two days – Ibrahim Mahama

Business mogul, Ibrahim says his company Engineers & Planners has settled its SSNIT contributions.

Mr Ibrahim Mahama was arraigned at the special SSNIT Saturday Court over his company’s inability to pay the SSNIT contributions of its staff.

However, in a statement, the company said as at 28th April 2017, it had made a total payment of over GHc 2 million (GHc2,723,212.36) in full satisfaction of all outstanding arrears and penalties.

It explained that on 22nd December 2016, SSNIT entered into a negotiated agreement with Engineers and Planners as it does with all clients for the payment of arrears of social security contributions of GHc1,601,051.78 adding, “by the terms of the agreement, E&P were required to make 12 monthly instalments commencing February 2017 ending in January 2018.

The statement said on March 2 2017, SSNIT wrote to E&P to serve notice that it had abrogated the negotiated agreement due to the failure of the company to make the instalment payment for “February 2017, as a result of two (2) days of delay in paying the first instalment.”

Below is the full statement:

ENGINEERS & PLANNERS HAS SETTLED SSNIT CONTRIBUTIONS

• On 22nd December 2016, SSNIT entered into a negotiated agreement with Engineers and Planners as it does with all clients for the payment of arrears of social security contributions of GHc1,601,051.78.

• By the terms of the agreement, E&P were required to make 12 monthly instalments commencing February 2017 ending in January 2018.

• As at 28th April 2017, E&P had made a total payment of over GHc 2 million (GHc2,723,212.36) in full satisfaction of all outstanding arrears and penalties.

• JUST TWO DAYS DELAYED PAYMENT – On March 2 2017, SSNIT wrote to E&P to serve notice that it had abrogated the negotiated agreement due to the failure of the company to make the instalment payment for February 2017, as a result of two (2) days of delay in paying the first instalment.

• E&P informed SSNIT that it had made efforts to make the payments for February as agreed but for unexpected delays in their receivables on current contracts and convincingly committed to paying. A promise it has fulfilled.

• E&P further made a request for SSNIT to reconsider its decision to abrogate the negotiated agreement. SSNIT declined the request.

• Instead, on 13th April 2017, a summons was issued to E&P to appear before the District Court on 29th April 2017 to answer a complaint of failing to pay SSNIT contributions of GHc668,754.75 and penalty of GHc387,709.31 totalling GHc1,056,464.06.

• Once again it is worth noting that, E&P has paid over GHc 2 million (GHc2,723,212.36) in full satisfaction of all outstanding arrears and penalties.

• Counsel for Engineers and Planners has informed the court that the company has fully paid off the outstanding amounts due SSNIT.