The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on Wednesday launched the Self- Employed Enrollment Drive(SEED), in Kumasi, to encourage self-employed persons to join the scheme, to also enjoy social protection.
The development would help redefine social security and give hope to self-employed persons or those in the informal sector that they can retire in dignity and comfort.
Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director General of the SSNIT, said that the scheme would “pay a benefit to their survivors if they pass on. This is akin to the insurance we all have on our vehicles, houses and other valuable assets we own.”
He said the initiative would change and impact the future of many people, who otherwise would have had to work through their old age or become dependent on others.
“What we see here today is the culmination of all the preparation work and efforts we have put in the last year or so.Our Board of Trustees was clear in their minds and determined to fulfil the mandate placed on us by the law that governs social security in the country.
“That is, the mandate to extend pension coverage to all workers especially, the self-employed,”DrOfori-Tenkorang noted.
According to the Director General, the management carried out extensive engagements with various stakeholders across the country to solicit their input and support on how they could extend pension coverage to the self-employed.
He said “we gathered valuable lessons from representatives of state agencies, civil society organisations, Ghana Employers Association, national and regional leaders of trade associations within the informal sector and media and entertainment industry.”
DrOfori-Tenkorang indicated that only about 1.9 million of the 10 million workers in the country were covered under the SSNIT.
“What is more disturbing is that only about 24,000, representing just about two per cent of active contributors, are self-employed, despite the fact that majority of workers in the country are self-employed and/or work in the informal sector,” he noted.
Deputy Minister for Employment and Labor Relations, MrBright Wireko- Brobby, encouraged self-employed persons in the country to take advantage of the development to build a prosperous future.
He said: “I wish the initiative had been rolled out a long time ago to help drivers, masons, carpenters among others.”
MrWireko-Brobbysaid the initiative was “not the property of SSNIT, but for the state, and all self-employed should hook onto the scheme for your future.”
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
