By Prince Acquah
Elmina (C/R), Aug. 20, GNA – The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has launched the 2024 SSNIT Mobile Service (SMS) Week, calling on all workers to sign on to the scheme to secure their future.
It urged traders, market women, entrepreneurs, and other workers in the informal sector to sign up on the scheme.
The SMS Week seeks to take service delivery to the doorsteps of clients, particularly with the aim of ramping up the number of self-employed people on the scheme.
The Trust has deployed 76 mobile teams to designated locations across the country to support to customers in all ways including registering employers, issuing statement of accounts, merging SSNIT and National Ghana Card numbers of members, and reactivating accounts.
This year’s SMS Week is on the theme: “Sign up with SSNIT today for a pension that pays you as long as you live.”
The SSNIT Digital Bouquet comprising the SSNIT Mobile App, an upgraded website and portal, and an upgraded USSD platform was concurrently launched to enhance the quality of service delivered to customers.
The digital tools are expected to enable members and clients transact business with the Trust through their mobile devices with convenience and easy access to virtually every service.
Mr Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo, the Director-General of SSNIT, cautioned that old age, invalidity, and death did not discriminate and, therefore, it was imperative to enrol on the scheme against such eventualities.
He noted with concern that while 60 per cent of 3.2 million formal sector workers were covered under the SSNIT scheme, only 3.2 per cent (100,000) of the 3.1 million qualified informal sector workers were on the scheme.
He said the number was an improvement upon that of last year, but it remained insignificant and implored every working member of the public to join the scheme irrespective of their job or earnings provided they were not above the age of 45.
“To those of you running your own businesses, you can choose a future that is dignified and self-reliant. We urge you not to wait until it is too late because with the SSNIT Scheme, every month of contribution matters,” he stated.
Mr Maafo said the SSNIT scheme provided better value than securing long-term investments such as treasury bills, adding that monthly pensions were increased annually to help maintain the purchasing power of pensioners.
“The Trust pays old age pension for life, even beyond 100 years; it does not matter how long you live. SSNIT will continue to pay you pension, provided you have contributed for at least 15 years,” he noted.
He indicated that the Trust paid some GHS3.2 billion to beneficiaries from January to June this year alone.
The Director-General assured the public of the Trust’s commitment to managing the monies prudently to maximise the returns and ensure the scheme remained robust for future generations.
Touching on the new digital tools, he entreated all stakeholders to leverage the platforms to enjoy the convenience and speed that SSNIT provided.
Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, in a statement delivered on her behalf advised the public relying on relatives to cater for them in difficult times to stop because they could be disappointed.
She urged SSNIT to engage the media as well as community information centres to get more people to join the scheme.
She also entreated the clergy to offer education on the scheme to their congregations during their sermons to further the drive.
GNA