With only three weeks to the deadline for members of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to merge their numbers with their National Identification Authority (NIA) numbers, only 30 percent of eligible persons in the Northern sector have complied with the directive.
This was disclosed by the Tamale Area Manager for SSNIT, Festus Darko Preko, in an interview with the B&FT, where he said the low compliance rate is a result of not many persons registering for and acquiring their NIA cards, otherwise known as Ghana cards.
“Since the introduction of the directive, however, only 3o percent of SSNIT members in the Northern sector are said to have had their cards merged. The low registration is attributed to the inability of many to register and get access to the NIA cards,” he remarked.
To remedy the situation, he said the Trust has embarked on a series sensitisation exercises to ensure employees and contributors register for the card to enable them to access their SSNIT numbers.
“SSNIT is reminding employers to ensure their staff register for the NIA cards and impress upon them the importance of merging the accompanying numbers with their social security numbers,” he added.
The move was introduced o ensure effective and efficient delivery of services. It was done in compliance with directives from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) – which requires the use of the NIA card, otherwise known as Ghana Card, as as the primary means of identification for transactions pertaining to individuals in respect of pensions – SSNIT, in June, deployed systems that allow members of the Scheme to merge both numbers.
This, the Trust said, would be necessary to access information from 2022 onwards and provide convenience and comfort for members for all transactions with the Trust.
Mr. Preko also called on the members of the informal sector to take advantage of the exercise to get their numbers merged as it would enable them to engage with the Trust going forward. “This is necessary because irrespective of the work one does, if one does not get the SSNIT number merged with the NIA, it would be difficult to access any information.”
He added that members who are unable not merge their cards using the USSD shortcode or online portal should visit SSNIT’s branches in person for assistance. He noted that effort is being made to liaise with the NIA officers to help get members to acquire the cards in order to merge with the SSNIT numbers.
