SSNIT on agressive drive to rope in informal sector
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust(SSNIT) has launched a novel project to register workers in the informal sector into the national pension scheme to guarantee them a better retirement.
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Under the initiative called the Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED), it will see staff of SNNIT intrude the privacy of workers in the markets, community centres, event centres, streets and other targeted business enclaves to register them onto the SNNIT platform.
Those registered will now have access to the SNNIT Pension scheme during their retirement or in the case of permanent invalidity; where an individual or a person cannot work due to physical impaiment or injury before retirement.
The objective of the initiative is to secure the future of majority of Ghanaian workers who are not SNNIT members but are mandated to register with SNNIT to receive some form of income when they retire.
At the launch at the SNNIT Pension House in Accra last Friday, the Deputy Director General of SNNIT in charge of Finance and Administration, Michael Addo, noted that SNNIT is the only insurance provider in the country that provides protection against loss of income, disability, old age and permanent invalidity.
“Any self-employed person, or any Ghanaian who works can register with SNNIT and benefit from the SNNIT Pension Scheme,” he noted.
He disclosed that only two percent of self-employed persons out of 1.9 million Ghanaian workers have registered with SNNIT adding that the situation is alarming and unfortunate.
The initiative dubbed “ Ye Wo Aboten” which connotes ‘We are outside’ will insure the old age of these informal sector workers when they are no longer working and if they are registered on the SNNIT pensions scheme.
He further revealed that the beneficiary of SSNIT pension with the highest monthly income amounting to GH¢169,000 is a self-employed businessman.
At the launch which was marked with some processions on some principal streets of Accra, staff of SNNIT don Ye Wo Abonten branded T-Shirts to create awareness about the project.
Mr Addo further noted that a simple way to register onto the SNNIT Pension Scheme is for one to dial the number *791# .