[ 2016-06-14 ]

Minimum age of entry into SSNIT scheme now 15 years
MR Peter Hayibor, Head of the Legal Department of
the Social Security and National Insurance Trust
(SSNIT), has disclosed that the minimum age of
entry into the Social Security and National
Insurance Trust (SSNIT) is now 15 years while the
maximum is 45.

He said even though persons 55 years and above
are exempted from joining the scheme, they could
opt to contribute until they reach the age of
retirement.
Mr Hayibor was speaking at a workshop organised
by the management of SSNIT for some 60 media
practitioners in the Western Region.

He said the new National Pensions Act 766 of
2008, which was passed by Parliament and received
presidential assent on December 4, 2008 and
gazette notification on December 12, 2010,
provides for pension reform in Ghana through the
introduction of a three-tier pension scheme.

He named the three-tier scheme as First-Tier
mandatory, defined to benefit the Basic National
Social Security Scheme, Second-Tier mandatory,
which is fully-funded and privately managed as an
occupational pension scheme and the Third-Tier
voluntary, which is fully-funded Voluntary
Provident Fund and Personal Pension scheme.

He explained that the creation of the Three-Tier
contributory systems, will replace the current
parallel SSNIT Pension Scheme, and will bring
about unification of all existing public schemes
within a period of five years from the
commencement of the Act.

Mr Hayibor further said under the new Act,
workers are to make mandatory contributions of
5.5% whilst employers contribute 13%, totalling
18.5%.

Mr Hayibor indicated that since the Third-Tier is
voluntary, no rate has been prescribed. However,
he emphasised that a minimum contribution of
18.5%, which is equivalent of the national daily
minimum wage, shall be deducted, adding that the
failure of an employer to remit the contributions
of an employee constitutes an offence.

In a welcoming address, Dr Prosper Ayisah, the
Takoradi Area Manager, said under PNDC Law 247,
SSNIT has the right to ensure that all manner of
workers, including casual and contract staff in
the country, benefited from the social security
scheme.

Dr Ayisah, therefore, urged all employers in the
private and public sectors to register all their
workers with the scheme and start paying
contributions on their behalf.

He said, "So far as there is an employer/employee
relationship, and these workers earn income, they
must be registered and be made to contribute to
the scheme".

Speaking on ‘Benefits Processing and
Challenges,’ Mrs Rosemary A. Sackey, the General
Manager, Benefits, enumerated some of the
challenges faced by the Trust as non-registration
of workers, delay in endorsement of worker
registration forms, non-distribution of membership
certificates, non-declaration of workforce and
non-payment of contributions.

She said though payment of contribution for any
particular month is to be made by the 14th of the
ensuing month, employers, very often, fail to do
so, thereby putting the scheme at risk.

Source - thefinderonline.com

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