SSNIT interacts with employers

Accra, Aug. 28, GNA - Mr Akwesi Osei, Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), on Thursday appealed to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of organizations to support the trust to enhance the operation of the Social Security Scheme (SSS). He said their support would enable the trust to provide quality service to employees and employers as well as contribute more to the economy.

Mr Osei made the call during an interaction with chief executives of organizations who are the key stakeholders in the administration of SSS in Accra.

The meeting, which was attended by CEOs of companies was to sensitize them on challenges in the administration of the scheme as well as solicit their assistance and co-operation to address the problems. Mr Osei said PNDC Law 247, which governs the SSS, put responsibilities for the successful running of the scheme on SSNIT and employers.

He explained that employers were expected to register all their workers and ensure that they had valid social security numbers accompanied by their contributions and data. Mr Osei said the inability of employers to discharge these obligations created problems for SSNIT to credit the accounts of its members with their social security contributions. He said the reason for gaps in some statements from SSNIT was that there was no accurate and up-to-date statement of accounts. Mr Osei said the trust was introducing an Employer Monthly Account Reconciliation (EMAR), a monthly billing system that would help employers know their estimated indebtedness on a monthly basis. He said the objective of EMAR was to enhance the integrity of data on members of the scheme.

Mr Osei said the EMAR would provide up to date information on the indebtedness position of all registered establishments and improve database through regular reconciliation of employer records with those of SSNIT. He said the EMAR system would provide prompt detection of inconsistencies between employer's record and the trust's records for reconciliation.

During an open forum, some of the participants urged the management of SSNIT to sanction employers who failed to pay the contributions of their employees and the submission of contributors' reports. They also called for regular interactions between the employers and SSNIT to address challenges facing the scheme.