The Director-General of SSNIT, Kwasi Afresh Biney, says the pension scheme’s biggest challenge is no longer technology but getting more Ghanaians to embrace the digital platforms designed to make services faster and more convenient.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, Mr Biney said significant investments in automation have helped reduce pension processing times, but the full benefits can only be realised if customers actively use the available digital channels.

He explained that pension claims that previously took much longer to process can now be completed within an average of seven days once all required documents have been submitted.

“So let’s say you’ve gone on pension now, all your documents are right, and you’ve submitted them to us. On average, now it takes us seven days to process your request to be put on the pension payroll to the very end, because remember, we need to do some investigations, we need to pick files, do some validations, and all that,” he said.

Mr Biney attributed the improvement largely to SSNIT’s ongoing automation drive, which has reduced manual processes and improved operational efficiency.

However, he stressed that technology alone cannot deliver results if users are unwilling to adopt it.

“Automation has really helped, but one of the things that I believe we need to work on is the mindset shift as to the use of our digital channels,” he said.

According to him, institutions often focus heavily on investing in technology but pay less attention to ensuring customers actually use the systems.

“If you’ve invested in technology but you haven’t gotten people to accept it and use it, you will not get the benefits that you seek,” he stated.

To address the challenge, Mr Biney disclosed that SSNIT has established a dedicated department focused solely on improving digital engagement and gathering customer feedback.

“That is why we have currently set up a department whose core job is to look at our digital channels, to get people to use it, to get feedback and ensure that consistently we are nimble and improving for people to use with ease and convenience,” he explained.

He said the organisation has also adopted a deliberate strategy to make digital platforms the primary mode of service delivery, while keeping physical interactions available as a complementary option.

“We also made a conscious decision that we wanted digital to be the default, and once digital is the default, we need to go out there, let people know the convenience and ease that our digital channels bring, so that people use it, and then face-to-face becomes complementary to the digital use,” he said.

Mr Biney argued that service providers must align their offerings with the way people live and interact in the digital age.

“You wake up in the morning, and probably the first thing you pick up is your phone. You probably will go on WhatsApp. Let’s make it.

"Let’s look at how we live our lives and offer solutions that mimic that way of living. And through that, we bring convenience and service to the people,” he said.

He maintained that increasing digital adoption remains central to SSNIT’s efforts to deliver faster, more efficient and customer-friendly pension services.