The intended merger is expected to improve the way of doing business with the Trust
• The SSNIT said the transition will improve the ease of doing business with the Trust and bring convenience to members
• Members will be required to provide their Ghana Card Number to access their Statements of Accounts
• The SSNIT said it will also make it easy for identification of nominated dependents.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has held a meeting with stakeholders to sensitize them on the merger of SSNIT numbers with the NIA numbers of members of the Scheme.
The intended merger is expected to improve the way of doing business with the Trust by enabling a convenient means to allow members to use one card, that is the Ghana Card, for all transactions.
According to SSNIT, the merger complies with Regulation 7 (1) of the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2111 and a directive from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA).
The regulation, among other things, requires the use of the Ghana Card as a means of identification for “transactions pertaining to individuals in respect of pensions”.
Speaking at the event, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah commended the Management of SSNIT for bringing together players in the pension industry to ensure a successful exercise.
He noted that such a tripartite approach is the way institutions should go in promoting industrial harmony.
“When organizations engage stakeholders before the introduction of new programmes or initiatives, it reduces anxiety and suspicion from them. This is particularly important in circumstances where the relationship between employers, labour and SSNIT has not always been exactly cordial”.
“After the merger is done, I am optimistic it will bring down further the average 10 working days it takes for SSNIT to process and pay benefits to retirees”, he noted.
The Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, said the Trust will create avenues for people to have the merger done on their phones by dialling a shortcode or USSD and also the SSNIT website.
The event, held today in Accra, was to solicit input from stakeholders for smooth implementation of the provision in L.I. 211.
However, those who cannot use any of these methods can also walk into any SSNIT office to be assisted to merge their numbers.
He noted that after the merger has been completed, members can use their Ghana Cards to transact business with the Trust.
“The plan is that from 2022, the Ghana Card will be the only accepted means of identification required for members to transact business with SSNIT and we believe that with your support and partnership, we can definitely achieve this goal”, he said.
Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang hinted that from July 2021, new joiners will be required to have Ghana Card before joining the SSNIT Scheme.
The Trust has also outlined some stakeholder engagements this year.
These engagements are expected to ensure continuous dialogue with stakeholders and strengthen the partnership that exists between them and the Trust.