The Social Security and National Insurance Trust held a stakeholder conference with muslim dignitaries with special emphasis on getting self-employed Ghanaians involved in their services and to create awareness on life insurance before old age.
Speaking at the meeting held in Accra yesterday, the Director General of SSNIT, Mr. John Ofori-Tenkorang disclosed that they already met with the Clergy and the Christian leaders June 17, so with the Muslim Community representing a large population, it was their turn to be enlightened.
The Muslim community has declared their faith in the operations of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), to provide them with trustworthy services that enable a better future and reduce old age poverty.
Mr. Ofori-Tenkorang presented basic information and benefits of the program as well as SSNIT’s plan to engage the community members and get more Ghanaians to participate in their Social Security services.
Spokesperson to the national Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, present at the meeting, told the media that many of the Muslim people did not have the mindset about getting life insurance for themselves so that in the future they would be secured, and so he believes SSNIT will be able to pave that way for the Muslim youth to be enlightened.
The Sheikh went on to declare on behalf of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, that they are fully backing the motive of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust to engage the Muslim people on the scheme.
According to him, just as the Christian community wants what’s best for their people so that in the end, they lead comfortable lives, he is also of the view that this venture will enable the Muslim people lead comfortable lives.
“Your workers are welcome any day that they want to come to our midst, and I, as the spokesperson to the Chief Imam, will receive them so that this cooperation is successful,” he stated.
Member of the advisory board of the Chief Imam, MamahGado Mohammed made mention that the enlightenment about SSNIT operations should have come at an earlier time when the chiefs had started using SSNIT, because at this time it was already late for them but still encouraged that they should work hand in hand.
“What you have done today is a big eye-opener. My only regret is that this should have been done when we joined the SSNIT Scheme. Perhaps, we could have done better for ourselves but we say thank you. Whatever we have been introduced to, we will pass it on to those who need to be told”, he stated.
The Muslim leaders present at the meeting, included the Zongo chiefs, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission and the Ghana Muslim Mission, which gave the assurance that they would create awareness to the young Muslim people who are ignorant about insuring their lives before old age catches up on them.
The meeting, themed “Extending Pension coverage to the self-employed and informal sector workers; the role of Muslim leaders,” was a sure way to help create awareness of the SSNIT services, which according to Mr. Tenkorang, was to be spread by the media.
Stating the facts of the presentation, 1.7 million Ghanaians, out of the roughly 12 million working Ghanaians participate in the program which is actually available to access by all employed Ghanaians in both the formal and informal sectors.
However, applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 45 to join the program, once involved members can continue to contribute to the fund until they reach retirement age.
Members employed in the formal sector contribute 5% of their paycheck to the fund and their employer contributes an additional 13.5%. Self Employed members would contribute the entire 18.5% themselves.
According to Mr.Ofori-Tenkorang, members then receive a retirement pension. They can access half the pension at the age of 55 or the full pension at 60.
The services also include an invalidity pension, which provides monthly pension payments to individuals that have sustained a permanent injury and will not be able to return to work, and what is essentially a life insurance plan which will pay family members a lump sum if the contributing member dies.
To make their services more accessible, SSNIT members will be able to register and contribute to the program, using virtual banking applications like Mobile Money.
Questions arising focused on contributions from multiple income sources, how SSNIT would hold employers accountable to ensure they contribute to their employees SSNIT accounts and if members could access their pension before retirement age due to injury.
While an individual could contribute to the fund from multiple employers at the same time they were not able to contribute from both a formal sector job and informal sector job simultaneously, a SSNIT staff stated.“We don’t want people to game the system,” said the Director General.
In order to hold employers accountable, participants will receive updates on their account once every three months, which allows them to verify that their employer is making contributions. However, this service will only be available through email and will not be sent to Post Office Boxes, he continued.
“If [people] knew that SSNIT wasn’t being paid for them, they would find a way to blow the whistle,” said Mr. Ofori-Tenkorang.“We want to empower our members to take control.”
If an employer is not making contributions they can report the employer to SSNIT. The Director General added that for the employees’ protection, their name would not be given to the employer they report.
Finally, SSNIT clarified that invalidity pensions which pay members that cannot return to work are not limited by age and are available to any member that has been deemed unfit to work.
In order to inform more Ghanaians of this program SSNIT plans to first use traditional and social media to spread the work followed by engaging in community activities and calling individuals themselves.
By Jake Moore & Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
