The float in Wa
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has launched this year’s Self-Employed Enrollment Drive (SEED) campaign dubbed Operation-A-Thon in Wa, the Upper West Regional Capital to encourage the informal sector workers to enrol on to the Scheme.
Addressing the media after a float through the principal streets of Wa recently, the Ag. Corporate Affairs Manager of SSNIT, Mrs. Victoria Gifty Abaidoo said, SEED was initiated last year, and Self-Employed enrolment has increased from about 13,000 to over 100,000 workers.
Mrs. Gifty Abaidoo further revealed that Operation-A-Thon is a national campaign geared towards introducing SSNIT to the informal sector workers, sensitising and registering them on to the Scheme so they can also retire with decent pension.
She, however, emphasised that every worker can enrol on SSNIT and decide how much to contribute monthly, adding that the amount one contributes determines their pension.
Apart from old age pension, SSNIT pays invalidity pension to persons who have become incapacitated. The Scheme steps in to pay monthly pension to qualified persons regardless of age when such persons can no longer work again due to accident or permanent illness. The Scheme also pays survivors lump sum to dependants upon the death of a member.
“We have coined this as Operation-A-Thon just to introduce ourselves out there as people who care for workers of this country, an institution that has the interests of workers in this country. Just because we care for every worker in this country, that every worker having to work so hard and retire will have to retire on good income,” she said.
The Corporate Affairs Manager noted that the campaign seeks to erase the notion that SSNIT is only for the formal sector workers and to make those working for themselves know that, they can register and contribute to the Scheme via mobile money and official SSNIT agents.
According to Victoria Gifty Abaidoo, the only requirement one needs to register on to the Scheme is the National Identification Card (Ghana Card), and applicants must be between the ages 15 and 45.