The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has announced spending a whopping Ghc 3.3 billion in benefits payments to pensioners in 2020.
Director General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori-Tenkorang, made this known on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, in a speech to present a Toyota Hilux Double Cabin four wheel drive pickup to the National Pension Association of Ghana. National Chairman of NPA, Seth Ametefe Sesi, received the pickup on behalf of the Association.
Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang explained that the days when retirees had to wait for two months or more to receive their first pension were over.
According to him, “we (SSNIT) now pay pensioners within an average of 13 days after receiving their applications.”
He added that “also, pensioners who walk into any of our offices to transact business are now speedily attended to. They do not have to join any long queues before being served due to the introduction of the Pensioners Priority Desk.”
He recounted that “this used to be 47 days in 2016.”
Dr. Ofori-Tenkorang indicated SSNIT’s efforts at improving service delivery to stakeholders especially pensioners since 2017 have yielded desirable results.
He assured pensioners that “despite the adverse impact of Covid-19 on businesses, we will continue, as I have said, to pay your monthly pensions without fail or delay. Our expenditure on benefits keeps rising.”
By Melvin Tarlue