SSNIT needs new structural reforms – Labour analyst

A former Head of Industrial Relations at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Seth Abloso, has called for structural reforms in the management of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

“We need serious structural reforms at SSNIT and a possible amendment in the act. One of the areas I will recommend is the position of the chief executive officer position so we can have the most suitable candidate to occupy the position,” he told Alfred Ocansey on the Sunrise show on 3FM Wednesday, March 31.

His comments follow a revelation made by the Auditor-General’s office in its Report of Public Accounts of Ghana – Public Boards, Corporations, and other Statutory Institutions for the year ending December 31, 2019.

The report was put together after several public boards, corporations, and other statutory bodies had their accounts audited by the Auditor-General.

The report, which covers over 1,000 pages, states that SSNIT had invested a large sum of money into a housing project at two locations – Klagon and Sakumono – but it seems the investment did not yield any substantial returns.

In his view, Mr Abloso blames the misappropriations as a result of bad management and he called for the need to quickly intervene and ensure that the scheme is up to its mandate and task to retrieve all the monies of its investments that are yet to be collected to help better the lives of its contributors.

According to him, he believes management is incapacitated to retrieve monies owed from certain state institutions because of the political influence.

“Why do some investment decision go bad, because if you review and the returns are not appreciable, you can hold the organization where you have invested responsible but we are not seeing any of this and even if SSNIT is to do it and there is overbearing political, it will lead to the organization where the investment was done go without paying,” he added.