Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang addressing the gathering
A total of 4,310 criminal cases are pending in court against employers in the country.
The cases involve various pension offences including failure to register establishments or workers, failure to submit contribution reports or employers’ records and failure to pay contributions and associated penalties as at the end of the first half of the year.
Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, made this known when he engaged employers at a breakfast meeting held at the Alisa Hotel on Thursday October 24, 2019, in Accra.
He noted that SSNIT was intensifying vigilance on matters relating to pension contributions.
Debt
Meanwhile, the Director-General seized the opportunity to put out to employers how an amount of GH¢ 64.67 million was owed SSNIT by some employers in the private sector.
He warned that “if we fail to collect these debts, it does not absolve us of our responsibility to and obligations to the worker.”
According to him, “we understand that businesses go through hard times that is why we engage employers who might for one reason or the other delay in complying.”
He said SSNIT was sometimes compelled to take legal action against the employers.
He therefore encouraged employers to contact their respective compliance officers for assistance if they encounter any challenge in paying for their workers.
The Director-General assured that management of SSNIT remained focused on the core mandate of the Trust and will deliver on the obligation to workers and all contributors, adding that the Trust spent over GH¢ 250 million monthly in paying pensions.
BY Melvin Tarlue