By Samuel SAM
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has expressed gratitude to its customers in the five regions of the north by sharing chocolates and reiterating its commitment in improving on service delivery, maintaining open-door policies and other initiatives that would allow customers to transact business without any issue.
Customers are key stakeholders in every institution and therefore, the need to express gratitude for their contribution and find ways to motivate them to stay on the scheme as well as ensure they get value for money. This is because their contributions help to grow every business or institution; hence our gratitude to customers for their continuous loyalty in patronising SSNIT products while providing security to their future and welfare.
The future of every citizen of the country is paramount to SSNIT; hence, the various programmes by SSNIT to ensure all benefit during their old age or when not in active service.
Northern Sector Area Manager for SSNIT, Mr. Festus Dark-Preko, announced these at this year’s National Chocolate Day, where management from the branch distributed chocolate to some informal sector customers at Buipela in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region and other operational areas. National Chocolate Day is a day set aside to express love and gratitude to others.
According to him, the Self-Employment Enrolment Drive (SEED) has led to many from the informal sector enrolling unto the scheme, thereby contributing toward their future; of which management has taken steps to embark on community engagement in educating rural dwellers on the need to enrol unto SEED.
He encouraged the public to focus on the value SSNIT scheme offers and contribute on their correct salaries to enjoy enhanced pensions.
He further encouraged those in the informal sector who have not yet done so to enrol unto SEED to save for their future, especially when not in active service.
Northern Regional Branch Manager of SSNIT, Mr. Albert Owusu- Boateng, said: “When you come to SSNIT, our customers are very important to us and we cherish them. So we have also set the day known as ‘Customer Appreciation Day’ to demonstrate love to our customers by giving them something to motivate them.
“We stepped out to express our gratitude to make them know that we care and value their loyalty, and we are dedicated to giving them superior service,” he explained.
Touching on SEED, he noted that the drive has been impressive and that the self-employed are also part of the SSNIT scheme; therefore, they should come on board, get registered and contribute massively toward their pension.
He said the scheme registered about 900 members in 2023 and currently targeting almost 2000 informal sector from the Northern Region to be enrolled unto the drive by the close of 2024.
While they go about their normal duties, so many things can happen and can get to an extent where doctors can declare them permanently invalid, and this is where SSNIT has a special package for them provided they have contributed up to twelve months within the last thirty-six months, he said.
He stressed that in case of death, SSNIT has survivors benefit and this package can be accessed by all who contribute to the scheme.
“Since 2023, we have been vociferous in our campaign educating the self-employed that they are also part of the drive and that we are dedicated to serving them even better,” he said.
If you begin to set something aside as a form of insuring your income, when the time comes, you would be paid and not rely on anybody for survival, he said.
SEED Officer Iddrisu Adam Andani noted that effort is to get all informal sector to be registered unto the drive to secure their future.
Chairman of Kakpayili/ Buipela zone Dressmakers Association, Iddrisu Adam, expressed gratitude to SSNIT for the education, saying: “We are convinced that our investment would be saved for our future”.
