The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) says it does not accept organisations, societies and fiancées as nominees to be entitled to social security benefits and asked contributors to take note.

Mrs Betty Boham, Teshie-Nungua branch Manager of the SSNIT described nominations of girl/boy friends and others as "invalid nominations" saying recognised nominees were spouses and children urging those who have made such mistakes to update their records to avoid embarrassment in future.

She was speaking on "benefits under the SSNIT pension scheme" at a day's seminar organised by the Teshie-Nungua branch office of the SSNIT for employers and contributors.

The seminar enabled them to know their obligations and benefits under the pension scheme with a view to updating records and also settle their workers contributions promptly.

The Branch Manager said mistakes such as under declarations of employees' particulars with regards to salaries, poor record keeping as well as delay in the payment of social security benefits should stop.

She said 49 out of 527 establishments with 4,293 registered workers operating within the Teshie-Nungua area owe SSNIT 58,166.04 Ghana Cedi in social security contributions warning that SSNIT is embarking on aggressive strategy to retrieve the debts and legal action is the last resort.

Mrs Boham warned employees against compromising with employers to under declare their wages because this would definitely give them low benefits.

The Branch Manager said SSNIT is not a saving scheme and asked contributors to stop approaching it for part payment of their benefits as loans.

Mr Kwame Kusi, Tema Area Manager, said law backs SSNIT and that any one who contravened it was likely to face prosecution.

He mentioned the evasion of social security contributions, faking of SSNIT certificate clearance, preventing officials' access to vital documents as some of the offences punishable by law.


Source: GNA