SNNIT witness sharp increment in enrolment of persons in the informal sector

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has witnessed a sharp increase in the enrolment of persons in the informal sector onto the SSNIT scheme. 

From May 2022 to May 2023,  persons registered onto the scheme increased from 14, 000 to 54,000, representing a 2.9 % jump from the previous 0.5 %.

Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang,  Director General of SSNIT who disclosed this attributed the feat to various activities being carried out by SSNIT to ensure that more people enroll in the scheme. 

He said the Self Employed Enrolment Drive  (SEED) campaign launched by the scheme last year was catching up with the people hence the enthusiasm and interest shown by the people to join the scheme. 

SSNIT in the next couple of years Dr  Tenkorang noted is aiming to register at least two million people in the informal sector through leveraging technology and aggressive public sensitization to achieve the needed results. 

He said the 3.2 million informal sector workers representing 6.1 per cent of the population were the ones driving the Ghanaian economy and cannot be left out to their fate in their old age. 

The focus of the campaign he said is geared towards eliminating old age poverty associated with older persons who failed to insure their future in their productive years in the country.

Dr Tenkorang was speaking in an interview with Journalists on the sidelines of public engagement with the various associations of informal sector workers in Sunyani yesterday in the Bono Region.

The forum organised by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in partnership with SSNIT was aimed at equipping the participants with relevant information about the SSNIT scheme in order for them to partner with the Trust in its drive to educate the public in the informal sector, especially the self-employed. 

The Director General of SSNIT earlier in a presentation indicated that while those in public sector employment are enjoined by law to join the scheme, that cannot be said of those in the informal sector hence the need to encourage them to join to secure their future. 

The Scheme he noted offers unique benefits and provides value that no other pension product offers especially in times of invalidity, and death adding that about 1000 invalid persons were currently enjoying pension from SSNIT. 

He further explained that the Scheme is not for any special group of people but for all saying no matter where one works “we all have the same needs  SSNIT was determined to change the narrative through several fora to drum home the message. “

The Chairman for the occasion Nana Ansu Gyeabour who represented the GPRTU commended SSNIT for the initiative but was quick to add that SSNIT must do more especially in the area of publicity so as to get everybody on board. 

Some of the participants during the open forum called on SSNIT to initiate steps to “open up ” the age limit to allow more people to enrol, especially those above 45 years and above.

By Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani