Kofi Osafo-Maafo, the Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has outlined a strategic vision focused on technology and innovation to ensure the sustainability of the SSNIT Scheme.
At the 2024 Operations and Benefits Conference held at the Elmina Beach Resort and themed “Sustaining the SSNIT Scheme through Increased Active Membership and Adequate Contribution Collections Using Appropriate Technology,” gathered industry experts to address pressing challenges and explore new solutions.
Mr. Osafo-Maafo introduced the “SSNIT Digital Bouquet,” a comprehensive digital solution designed to enhance member services and streamline processes.
This initiative includes a new website and portal, an upgraded USSD platform, and the eagerly anticipated SSNIT mobile app.
He expressed optimism about the initiative and stressed these measures will significantly increase active membership and ease contribution payments.
He stated, “The use of these platforms will enable members and clients to transact business with us conveniently through their mobile devices.”
In his address, Mr. Osafo-Maafo acknowledged the significant strides SSNIT has made but emphasized the need for continued efforts to enhance operations.
He underscored three critical factors affecting the scheme’s sustainability: the growing financial demands due to increased benefit payments, legislative changes impacting funding, and irregular contributions from public sector workers.
He lamented, “The situation where the Trust pays out more than it collects should be a source of great concern to all of us.”
Mr. Osafo-Maafo stressed the importance of stakeholder involvement, urging staff and managers to act as ambassadors of the SSNIT Scheme.
He said, “We must empower our stakeholders, especially members of the scheme, to take active roles in their retirement planning through digital tools and financial literacy programmes.”.
He called for collective action to expand SSNIT’s reach and improve service delivery, stressing the importance of leveraging technology and maintaining the scheme’s positive image to attract new members and sustain stakeholder trust.
Deputy Director-General of Operations and Benefits, Ms. Juliana Kpedekpo, also addressed the conference, underscoring the importance of adopting appropriate technology to improve visibility and transparency in SSNIT’s operations.
“The use of technology will enhance the visibility of our business operations and enable Members and Clients to have real-time updates and access to account information,” she stated.
Ms. Kpedekpo announced the enhancement of the Self-Employed Enrolment Drive (SEED), which aims to integrate informal sector workers into the scheme using digital platforms.
“Our goal is to ensure that every eligible worker in this country is covered under the SSNIT Scheme and actively contributing,” she affirmed.
She encouraged the audience to engage potential customers with compelling stories about the scheme’s benefits, saying, “Compelling stories will potentially ‘encourage’ self-employed persons to accept our good message, become advocates, and assist us in enrolling more of their colleagues.”
Ms. Kpedekpo called for continued investment in technological solutions to increase active membership and improve contributions.
She emphasized that with these initiatives, SSNIT aims to secure a stable financial future for Ghana’s workforce, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.