The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on Tuesday launched its Biometric Terminal (BT) self-service point to allow clients to transact business with.

A SSNIT client with a valid smart card can access personal information from the BT such as checking and updating personal information, renewal of pension certificate, viewing and printing statements, lodge complaints and enquiries and portal identity request.

However, only active members and pensioners who have gone through the SSNIT biometric registration can benefit from the use of the BT.

Mr. Ernest Thompson, Director General of SSNIT, speaking at the launch in Accra, said the BT was an icing of what the Trust had achieved in terms of technology.

The BT services are available at any of the 19 BTs spread across 19 SSNIT branches throughout the country such as Tema, Pension House, Adabraka, Korle-Bu, Legon, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Asafo and Adum in Kumasi, Sunyani, Ho, Tamale, Wa and Bolgatanga.

“For a customer to move away from the convention of being served by a SSNIT staff to apply technology to self-serve is awesome. I know the BT will blow the minds of our customers and the public,” he said.

The Director-General noted that the SSNIT was becoming a model in social security administration the world over.

“SSNIT has over the years operated manually but now the terrain has changed. Technology is driving the business of SSNIT,” he said.

“It has made me shudder and I’m proud of my team, Team SSNIT that has brought this achievement to bear,” he added.

Mr. Thompson said SSNIT had successfully registered more than 1.5 million members biometrically.

“We are aware that SSNIT is over 50 years old and has volumes of administrative, files for payment of benefits, employer and members folders and numerous legacy files.

“All these have been scanned and digitised. That is about 4.5 million folders and 80,000 paid files have been put in an electronic medium,” he said.

Mr. Thompson said a state-of-the art contact centre had been established for the office to get closer to its customers from anywhere in the country and outside Ghana.

He said the Operational Business Centre Suite had also introduced other modules in contribution collection, registration, Relationship Channel Management, benefits, fraud and administration.

He said the Oracle Integrated System was propelling the Human Resource, Procurement, Legal, Investment and the Financial Management Systems.

“All these e-business suites are to facilitate the operations of the Trust and inure to the management of Customer Service. To crown it all, customers can access the SSNIT Portal in the comfort of their homes to access SSNIT on various issues,” he said.

Mr. Thompson noted that Social Security was not just about money, but data on clients for proper management of records.

Mr. Laud Senanu, General Manager Operations at SSNIT said the Trust’s quest to promote excellence and innovation had led to the adoption of the BT services.